SusQI Case Study: "Reducing Plastic Bag Usage"

SusQI project completed as part of the Hywel Dda University Health Board Green Team Competition from September 2022-January 2023.

One of the targets in the ‘NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan 2021-2030’ is to develop a 'plastics in healthcare' initiative to address waste in the delivery of health care – this will aim to tackle PPE, single use plastics, and packaging waste.’

Within Bronglais hospital pharmacy department, the standard operating procedure (SOP) for delivering medication from the pharmacy to patients on the wards involved packaging every patient’s medication into plastic bags. The pharmacy department ordered approximately 7,000 plastic bags per year for this purpose, costing the department around £377 each year. Only a small proportion of these plastic bags are returned to the department for re-use.

This project reviewed the method for transporting medications to patients on the wards from the pharmacy department and reduced the number of plastic bags used.  Discussions within the pharmacy department about  plastic bag reuse and disposal made people more aware of their actions in the department. The team have discussed the best options for changing practice and how they could act in a more sustainable way.

Click here for more information on the Green Team Competition (including organisation impact reports).