Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has implemented a technology platform designed to monitor and reduce air pollution at its hospitals, providing “next-generation real-time visibility” into the sources of pollution across hospitals in Basingstoke and Winchester.
The EMSOL platform aims to support the trust in identifying key pollutants and pollution spikes through continuous monitoring of air quality and noise, using features such as sensors and cameras to track pollution data and enable future interventions.
Shirlene Oh, chief strategy and population health officer, comments that through the platform Hampshire Hospital hopes “to be able to really understand our impact and act in a way that is beneficial to our whole region”.
The role of digital in sustainability
Earlier this year, we highlighted how SBRI (Small Business Research Initiative) Healthcare awarded £3.2 million to 22 innovations designed to help “improve care and accelerate a greener NHS”, with recipients including an AI-based predictive tool for pressure ulcers; a neurorehabilitation app designed to reduce the carbon footprint of community stroke rehabilitation; and a process utilising ultraviolet radiation to enable re-use of medical devices close to the point of care.
HTN also noted the ‘green operating day’ held by North Bristol NHS Trust, which saw a one-day trial run simultaneously across all neurosurgical theatres to explore how sustainably the operating list could be run.
We previously explored the role of digital in green plans from five integrated care systems – Somerset, North East London, Derbyshire, Suffolk and North East Essex, and Norfolk and Waveney.
HTN will be hosting a virtual panel discussion on the role of digital in going green on 22 October at 10am, in which healthcare professionals will discuss experiences and plans for environmental sustainability in the healthcare space, challenges, and how digital can help to tackle them. Click here to register for your free NHS ticket.
Also from the region
From the wider region of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, we highlighted how the Isle of Wight NHS Trust went live with its patient portal for digital outpatient appointment letters.
Earlier this week, we noted that South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust opened an opportunity for early engagement around the procurement of an electronic medicines tracking system hoped to eliminate reliance on paper-based processes, reduce corporate risk, generate cost savings and enhance efficiency.
And you can find the South East edition of our recent feature series exploring digital and data across each of the ICS regions here.
