CUH Sustainability

Home
United Kingdom
Cambridge
CUH Sustainability

CUH Sustainability is here to engage staff in the Trusts mission to be Net-Zero by 2040.🌍 CUH has a Board-approved Green Plan - our Action 50.

We have a Climate Emergency to tackle – this is no longer distant and remote, it is here and now. At its core it is about how CUH is helping to ensure the NHS meets it’s net-zero targets of halving carbon emissions inside 10 years (using a 2019 baseline) and then hitting net-zero inside the next 10 years. This cannot be an instant fix – carbon is built into everything we consume therefore actions

are essential – and we have put 50 in our Green Plan – but, and this is really important, they all need to be a part of a clear trajectory for achieving net-zero and tailored to our T:SKE healthcare delivery priorities as conventional one-size-fits-all, fit-where-they-touch, random ‘quick-wins’ and only the ‘low-hanging fruit’ responses to this will not be nearly enough to meet the target. At the heart of the transition from the high-carbon and high-waste conveyor of consumption (take-make-use-throwaway) to net-zero and zero-waste in which we ‘RE’-everything – reuse, repair, recycle and powered by renewables! – sometimes called the circular economy. Finding and checking this trajectory is why our 10-year Green Plan comes in 3 phases with the first phase between 2022-24 to set the foundation.

18/06/2026

♻️ Waste Tour Wednesdays – August & September Spaces Now Available

Ever wondered what happens to our waste after you close the bin lid? Now’s your chance to find out! Join Andrew Eady (Deputy Environmental Services Manager) and Amanda Lloyd (Sustainable Waste Manager) for a one-hour, behind-the-scenes tour of our on-site waste infrastructure.

Why attend?
📍 Follow the journey – See how waste moves from ward to final disposal on site
♻️ Master segregation – Understand the importance of correct waste streams and legal compliance in healthcare
🌍 Drive impact – Learn practical actions to reduce contamination and support our Net Zero ambitions
⭐ A unique opportunity - CUH is currently the only NHS Trust offering an in-house waste tour of this kind

Spaces are limited to six per session, so early booking is essential. 👉 Book your place by scanning the QR code or using the link in the comments

16/06/2026

🧤 Glove Purchasing Update – May

This May, CUH purchased 1 million pairs of single‑use gloves - a decrease of 135,00 compared to April! Well done everyone.

Please remember to remind your colleagues that gloves are not required for all patient activities.

It is not clinically appropriate to wear gloves when:
📈 Checking blood pressure or temperature
💊 Dispensing medication
🍽️ Handling or collecting meal trays and drinks
🤝 Touching a patient
🍼 Assisting with oral nutrition
🦽 Moving a patient, chair, trolley or bed
📞 Using phones or computers

Performing hand hygiene before and after these activities is more effective -protecting you, our patients, and the planet.

We will continue working closely with IPCT to share monthly glove‑purchasing data and what it means for waste, carbon and cost across the Trust.

📘 For full guidance on the Trust’s glove campaign, visit Connect:
https://www.cuhconnect.nhs.uk/.../infection.../hand-hygiene/

10/06/2026

Great to see so many CUH colleagues chatting with Greater Anglia last week 👏

With Cambridge South station opening on the 28th June, there’s lots to explore - from routes to ticket options.

Couldn’t make it to the pop-up? 👉 No problem – visit Connect and search “Travelling to work: Rail” to stay up to date.

03/06/2026

The team from Greater Anglia will be on the concourse today from 12–2pm to chat all things Cambridge South Station.

Please do pop down and say hello if you can 🚉

02/06/2026

🚲New Bike Lockers Now Available – Register Your Interest

Following the success of our initial pilot, we’re pleased to share that 5 new bicycle lockers have been installed in the Bearpit (next to Outpatients and the Eye Clinic – see map below).

We’re now inviting staff to register their interest in using one of these lockers. If you’d like to be considered, simply complete the short form by Sunday 7th June: https://forms.office.com/e/rg2gM5Sbtm

Spaces will be allocated via a random draw, and successful applicants will be contacted directly with full details on Monday, 8th June.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

29/05/2026

🚆 Help shape the future of rail travel

Big changes are coming to UK rail - with services moving back into public ownership - and this is your chance to have your say.

'Campaign for Better Transport', an organisation working with government, transport providers, employers and communities to make transport more sustainable and fairer, is running a short survey to understand what matters most to passengers.

If you travel by train - whether for work, business or leisure - you can share your views on fares, reliability, accessibility and more.

⏱ Takes just 10 minutes
🌱 Better rail = more sustainable travel for NHS staff, patients and visitors

👉 Complete the survey and make your voice heard: https://bettertransport.org.uk/rail-reform-survey/

26/05/2026

🌍 Supporting the CUH “You Don’t Need Gloves When…” Campaign

We’re proud to continue supporting the CUH Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT) with their Trust‑wide “You Don’t Need Gloves When…” campaign.

This campaign supports three key aims:
1. Reducing healthcare‑associated infections
2. Improving environmental sustainability
3. Empowering staff with the knowledge and confidence to risk‑assess and make informed decisions about glove use

Gloves make up the largest proportion of single‑use plastics at CUH. In 2025 alone, 28 million gloves (costing almost half a million pounds) were procured and incinerated by the Trust - equivalent in weight to an adult blue whale 🐋

Because of the full life cycle involved - raw material extraction, manufacturing, transport and disposal - gloves also have a significant carbon footprint. We estimate that glove use at CUH accounted for around 700 tonnes of CO₂e in 2025.

Remember, it is not clinically appropriate to wear gloves when:

📈 Checking blood pressure or temperature
💊 Dispensing medication to a patient
🍽️ Serving or collecting meal trays and drinks
🤝 Touching a patient (when no exposure risk is present)
🍼 Supporting patients with oral nutritional needs
🦽 Pushing chairs, trolleys or beds, or mobilising patients
📞 Using phones or computers

For full guidance and resources, please visit the Trust’s Gloves Off campaign on Connect.

22/05/2026

Small actions, big impact 💚

We know many of you will be working over the bank holiday (thank you 🙌), but in areas that are quieter or closing down, please help us avoid unnecessary energy use by switching off:
🖥️ PCs (including second screens)
❄️ Air conditioning
💡 Lights

Before you finish your shift - or leave an area that won’t be in use - take a moment to switch things off. Equipment left running over quieter periods quietly drains Trust funds and can also block important PC updates (hello slow return-to-work machines…)

If you manage a team, please give everyone a quick reminder — especially where services are reduced this bank holiday weekend.

ℹ️ Note: BCA PCs are exempt. If you’re unsure whether an exception applies in your area, check with your manager.

21/05/2026

Planning your journey to and from site doesn’t have to be complicated. 😖

Did you know that on our main website, there’s a free travel planning widget that helps you find the best way to get here – and travel onwards too.

Powered by Traveline, a public transport information service that works closely with transport operators, local authorities and passenger groups, the widget brings together up‑to‑date routes and travel times all in one place.

Whether you’re walking or wheeling, catching the bus, hopping on a train, or mixing different options, it helps you choose the journey that best suits your needs. 🚌

👉 Why not give it a try?
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/visiting-our-hospitals/travel-and-parking/getting-here/

18/05/2026

We’re in full countdown mode to the opening of Cambridge South Station⏳🚆

But while we wait, fancy a sneak‑peek video you may not have stumbled across? 👀
These designs offer a first look at what the station will feel like inside - and what it will look like from above

💬 Let us know in the comments if you’re excited!

Address

Hills Road
Cambridge
CB20QQ

Website

http://www.cuh.nhs.uk/about-us/our-structure/other-departments/think-green/, https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/B333ZJB

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when CUH Sustainability posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to CUH Sustainability:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Cambridge?