Sustainability Efforts At Kentdale Rewarded With Bronze Award

Kentdale Referrals, in Milnthorpe, has received a bronze award from Investors in the Environment after a concerted sustainability push at the Linnaeus-owned hospital.

Investors in the Environment (iiE) is a national environmental accreditation scheme designed to help organisations reduce their impact on the environment.

Kentdale RVN and sustainability lead Kirsty Powell said the hospital had introduced a number of practices and procedures to achieve the iiE award.

Kirsty said: “The experience has been very eye-opening and I could not be prouder of my team of eco-warriors!

“Together, we have implemented incredible changes and I’m lucky to work with like-minded colleagues.

“It really has been a team effort and a fantastic commitment to create and implement an eco-friendly policy to reduce our environmental impact.”

One of the first green initiatives at Linnaeus-owned Kentdale was the introduction of reusable scrub hats for all operating theatre staff, saving around 1,600 disposable hats a year from becoming medical waste.

The hospital even secured the hats from a supplier that donates part of its income from each order to designated charities.

Other key projects which have seen Kentdale achieve its bronze award include eradicating the use of nitrous oxide throughout the hospital, as well as removing plastic trays and bowls from surgical packs.

Sharon Murtagh, hospital director at Kentdale, said: “The team at Kentdale recognises that businesses influence the environment in many ways and that’s why we are committed to the constant improvement of our environmental performance.

“We are proud to be working with iiE and achieving this bronze status is a great reward for the team’s combined efforts.

“We are now already looking at new ways to make further improvements to build on this award and achieve the iiE’s silver award.”

The Investors in the Environment annual audit consists of an assessment of five key areas of an organisation’s Environmental Management System (EMS). These include:

• Environmental policy
• Resource management and monitoring
• Progress against targets
• Action planning including social/environmental projects
• Communication

Kentdale Referrals is a specialist-led practice offering expert services in diagnostic imaging, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, anaesthesia, infection control, orthopaedic surgery, spinal surgery, soft tissue surgery and physiotherapy.

For more information on Kentdale Referrals, visit www.kentdalevets.co.uk or search for Kentdale Referrals on social media.