Carbon Impact Assessments
Understanding that climate change affects social and environmental determinants of health, the NHS aims to become the world’s first net-zero national health service, and pledges to achieve a net zero of the carbon emissions they can influence, by 2045.
To support future development and new technology adoption, the NHS will soon require all applicants to its national funding programmes to consider and articulate the environmental impact of the products for which they are seeking support. The NHS will also work to substitute for low-carbon alternatives where they are available and before the end of the decade, the NHS will no longer purchase from suppliers that do not meet, or exceed, its commitment to net zero (i). NICE have also pledged to develop a framework to incorporate environmental sustainability information within their guidance.
We are supporting the NHS Net Zero Plus ambition by providing clients with a service that will quantify and effectively communicate the carbon impact of their MedTech innovations.
Service Offerings:
HTE can provide carbon footprint evaluation services either stand-alone or as a part of the Health Technology Assessment Support and Evidence Appraisal. The services include:
Quantitative comparison of reduced greenhouse gas emissions and waste between the intervention and comparator, arising from more effective logistics, and reductions in patient travels and unnecessary treatments. Quantitative evidence of carbon footprint reductions is increasingly required to secure NHS-issued funding and grants.
Qualitative analysis of potential greenhouse gas emissions savings from the intervention by using the most up-to-date Greener NHS guidelines. It is particularly useful in developing the value proposition of the technology to the key stakeholders.
Advice on data collection during clinical trials and statistical post hoc primary data analysis relating to the environmental impact of the technology. The real-world data evidence is crucial to developing a strong case for the technology’s impact on the NHS’s carbon footprint.
The analyses provide a robust evidence base for the environmental impact that supports the value proposition of the innovation. The evaluations can also give insight into what steps should be done to maximise the positive environmental impact of the innovation.
