Veterinary Practice lowers Environmental Impact during Expansion
North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR) is a multidisciplinary veterinary specialist hospital in Surrey. Like many veterinary practices across the UK, NDSR is currently dealing with a significant rise in pet ownership and a 13% increase in caseload since 2019 has led to the practice expanding its staffing and service provision.
Despite this, NDSR’s environment footprint has fallen. Electricity consumption has dropped by 19% since 2019, while the amount of infectious waste it generates has decreased by 13%.
A green group established at NDSR has introduced a range of measures to reduce their environmental impact and make the practice more sustainable. To reduce fuel consumption, the practice installed LED lighting while encouraging colleagues to switch off equipment and lights when they’re not in use. Cycling to work is encouraged, with on-site facilities including a bike pump and repair kit.
To reduce waste in a clinical setting, NDSR replaced a range of single-use items with reusable or recyclable products. Its team switched to cloth scrubs for certain procedures in theatre, and use fewer drapes during minor procedures. Reusable patient warming devices are now given to patients recovering from anaesthesia and wipeable sheets replace single-use incontinence sheets where possible.
Because the anaesthetic gases used in practice are also greenhouse gases, NDSR has reduced their consumption by adopting lower flow anaesthesia. Its team promotes this across the veterinary profession by offering training to other practices. The move to lower flow anaesthesia has been supported with a campaign by veterinary group Linnaeus, which owns NDSR.
Nicola Kulendra, a European specialist in small animal surgery, is the sustainability champion at NDSR. She said:
“We don’t just want to make NDSR more sustainable – we want to encourage our peers and colleagues to do the same. Sharing what we have learnt will make more veterinary practices aware of the opportunities and benefits of becoming more sustainable.”
The environmental impact efforts of NDSR extend beyond clinical practice. During the lockdown of 2021, its team joined forces to walk, run or cycle the length of Route 66 – collectively travelling more than 4,000 miles and raising nearly £1,500 for a local animal charity.
Its team’s commitment to improving NDSR’s environmental performance gained a Green Level Investors in the Environment (iiE) accreditation in 2022 – only the second veterinary practice in the UK to earn this accolade.
For more information on NDSR and their previous awards please visit North Downs Referral Specialists | Green Directory | Investors In The Environment (iie.uk.com).
