Green Cross Group Practice: Gold Award for Sheffield GPs using eco-friendly inhalers and social prescribing

A Sheffield GP practice has become the first in South Yorkshire to receive a Gold Award from the Royal College of GPs for its focus on sustainability.

Green Cross Group Practice, which has two sites on Palgrave Road in Parson Cross and Dunninc Road in Shiregreen, is one of 17 in the country to have been granted the status in a year.

Dr Fran Cundill from the practice said: "When you multiply your one trip to a GP by the thousands of others doing it at the same time and being prescribed medicine, it quickly builds up."

"On the flip side of that, climate change has a huge impact on our health."

The NHS currently produces around 4-5 per cent of the country’s carbon emissions.

She added: "Things such as air pollution and changes in weather patterns like we’ve seen with recent storms - they all have an impact on patients’ health. So we see reducing our impact on the environment as a key part of our role in improving patients’ health."

Alongside smaller changes such as putting a bike lock up in the car park and ensuring there are recycling bins in reception, Dr Kate Turner says the biggest impact can be made through assessing how they treat patients. 

She added: "When people think of sustainability they often think of things like recycling and energy-efficient lightbulbs, but 60 per cent of our carbon footprint comes from the medicines we prescribe."

They have also put a strong focus on "social prescribing", which means referring patients to community groups or volunteering which can help support certain mental health conditions. 

Dr Cundill says that GPs at the surgery have begun to prescribe alternative, more environmentally-friendly forms of inhaler, which are easier for patients to use.

"Patients with poorly controlled asthma need more inhalers, and each inhaler has a relatively high environmental impact because of the propellent gasses which create the ‘puff’ of medicine," she said.

"Equally, people with asthma are more vulnerable to worsening air quality, which results in more inhaler prescriptions.

"There are things called ‘dry powder’ inhalers which do not use propellent gases, so they are much kinder on the environment.  

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"Patients often get more medication into their lungs from these inhalers because the technique is easier than gas-based versions. "

Dr Turner says that one of the keys to Green Cross’s success has been the willingness of all staff members at the surgery to get on board with the scheme.

She said: "It’s about looking at your own areas of responsibility and seeing how, even in a small way, you can make a difference. It has been a whole team effort, and I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved here already."