25th July 2024
Our staff in the Bluestone Unit at Craigavon Area Hospital are going green! 
Staff have implemented a number of measures which are minimising waste, reducing impact on the environment and saving the Trust money.
Initiatives in the past six months include a change from plastic to paper compostable cups for dispensing medication – up to 100 are used every day, reducing the levels of clinical waste processing through increased recycling, LED bulbs across the facility, heat pump appliances where possible and a reduction in the use of bottled water.
Left Sinead Davidson, Cloughmore Ward Manager and right Agnes Dee, Head of Service for Mental Health and Learning Disability Inpatients at our Bluestone Unit at Craigavon Area Hospital.
Head of Service Agnes Dee explained:
“After attending the Trust’s Sustainability Committee, we were really inspired to make positive changes to reduce waste, reduce costs and reduce our environmental impact.
“These new eco measures are not only better for the planet but over the next couple of years, will considerably reduce the Unit’s costs.
One of the new green spaces at Bluestone.
Head of Sustainability for the Trust Andrew Cunningham added:
“With the change to LED lights in the Bluestone Unit in this financial year, this will save the Trust 56% on our energy bills and carbon, with a cost saving of £30,000 per year.
With the Unit’s gas consumption, due to more of a focus on consumption of energy by the staff, we have been able to reduce LPG gas consumption, saving around 45% on cost vs the previous financial year.”
Mark Bloomer, Assistant Director for Estates Services said:
“We want to be at the forefront of delivering sustainable healthcare and one of the Trust’s objectives is to support people to live, long, healthy, active lives, this means building a healthcare system that cares for people and the planet.
“We’ll be installing 35,000 LEDs throughout the Trust and from the introduction of natural gas, the 36 sites converted are now using 40% less carbon. We also aim to reduce overall waste volumes by 5% over five years and continue our tree planting schedule which saw 6,000 trees planted in 2021/22.”