Mapping Greener HealthcareMapping Greener Healthcare

Goal: To reduce the amount of routine blood tests run on the ward by 10-15%.

Background: Cherry Ward identified that medically fit patients were receiving daily blood-tests unnecessarily. It is estimated that the routine blood tests could be reduced by as much as 10-15%. The suggested method would be to identify which medically patients have received blood tests during lunchtime meetings and to make a note that a blood test is unnecessary on that day.

Approach:

Due to delays over the winter period, the project was unable to run. However, the team at Cherry Ward are keen to push this ahead when there is time.

Savings:

The Cherry Ward does roughly 20 routine blood-tests per day. A 15% reduction would result in 3 fewer blood- tests per day. It is estimated that the total cost of a blood test is £20. This includes: a) the materials such as syringe, test-tube, cotton and gauze, b) disposal costs in the high-cost sharps waste-stream, and c) the cost of transport and analysis from Frimley, where bloods are analysed. The annual cost savings of reduced blood tests could therefore be £15,000. Using a carbon conversion factor combining medical equipment, waste products and travel, the carbon reductions could amount to 11,511 kgCO2e. An estimated 10-15 minutes is required per blood test on Cherry Ward. A conservative estimate of 30 minutes would be saved a day on blood tests, amounting to, 125 hours of time saved a year, £1,373 per year in band 3 time. The total annual savings of this project could amount to £16,373 and 11,511 kgCO2e or beyond.