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Making healthcare more sustainable

The NHS accounts for 25% of public sector carbon dioxide emissions in the UK.

This sets the precedent for a change in how the NHS works to improve environmental impact and the goal to be carbon neutral by 2040.

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Carbon-neutral healthcare

According to the World Economic Forum, over 4% of global CO₂ emissions are produced by healthcare systems and directly impact patient health. 

Climate change increases the risk of illness and can affect the body’s nervous and respiratory systems. 

Reduce the risk by implementing more sustainable healthcare.

SPARK TSL® & its employees also have environmental targets. Read more about it.

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Where SPARK TSL® can help…

Our latest managed tablet solution, SPARK Fusion®, can help your Trust achieve sustainability.

Through HL7 integration, SPARK Fusion® can digitise processes like prescribing and meal ordering to further reduce waiting times, bed blocking, and unnecessary clinical and food waste. 

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Paperless meal ordering

Every hospital in the UK was recommended to implement a digital meal ordering system by 2022. These systems aim to replace paper-based meal ordering, cut costs, reduce food waste and enhance patient satisfaction.

Switching from paper to digital meal ordering services can save around 237,250 sheets of paper annually.

We’re developing SPARK Fusion® to make this possible by allowing patients to easily access digital meal ordering services from their bedside tablet. 

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12%

of the total food waste generated in the UK comes from the NHS and private hospitals.

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Trusts can upgrade to SPARK Fusion® and use existing Hospedia infrastructure to make it easier for patients to access digital services such as meal ordering with an iPad at the bedside that is reliable and always up-to-date.

More than 6,000 tonnes of hospital food was thrown away by NHS England in 2020 and the annual cost of hospital food waste is £230 million, according to official statistics.

Giving patients control over their food intake means they are less likely to waste food, as well as providing staff with an opportunity to address and prevent malnutrition risks. 

Going digital and linking a meal to a patient means that if they move beds or wards, their meal will be actioned accordingly — whether that’s a cancellation or redirection, depending on the situation. 

 

Find out more

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Utilising digitalisation in the NHS

Not every patient will want to watch programmes or play games on devices, so is there still a need for digital devices?

In short, yes. Not only does SPARK Fusion® allow patients to access entertainment such as TV and games, but they also hold an extensive library of reading materials. Trusts can save up to 99.9% of the cost of paper copies of magazines and newspapers.

Healthcare information is also available on devices, allowing patients to understand their conditions further without needing a doctor to explain.

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Join the mission to digitise meal ordering services to help Trusts save up to £262,900 annually

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E-Prescribing can also impact huge savings for Trusts and reduce paper usage and waste

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Moving translation services to an online resource will save Trusts money on translators

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Clinical messaging can also speed up the care process, which speeds up the discharge process

SPARK TSL® offers NHS digital compliance, and patient engagement and entertainment.

Chat through the benefits of this with us in more detail.


Speak to us

What SPARK TSL® do to offset their carbon

As a business we are working towards becoming a sustainable organisation with initiatives planned in for net zero emissions by 2028 alongside implementing a Carbon Reduction Plan. We have updated the integrated Business Management System Manual – which now covers ISO 9001 (Quality), 14001 (Environmental). 

Supply chain sustainability school

SPARK TSL® signed up for the Supply Chain Sustainability School late last year. Launched in 2012, the School is a multi-award-winning initiative representing a common approach to addressing sustainability within our supply chains. You work your way up from member to bronze, silver, and gold through many online eLearning modules. SPARK TSL® has now achieved silver status (June 2024) and is only 15% away from earning gold.

Three part plan

  1. Transition: Moving our energy supply to Green Energy providers by the end of 2024 and reducing our energy usage through insulation and a policy for low power devices and office environment. 
  2. Regenerate: SPARK TSL® is promoting the regeneration of green spaces around our offices and the contribution towards tree planting in the local area around Exeter, supporting initiatives such as the National Trust "Plant a Tree" scheme. 
  3. Sustain: SPARK TSL® knows we cannot just use offsetting, but we will choose suppliers and vendors who source their energy from sustainable sources including our cloud platform providers AWS who we chose due to their commitment to be 100% renewable energy sourced by 2025. 

How SPARK TSL® employees are doing their bit

We are running an education programme to increase staff awareness on all aspects of sustainability and how we can all contribute to reducing our impact on the environment. Our first internal comms regarding this education went out in June 2024

We have also introduced a new sustainable payroll giving benefit through Benefiz to enable employees to help make a real difference for the environment. The tool measures and analyses emissions and creates a suitable carbon reduction plan. It then guides the individual to select the right high-quality carbon offsetting projects and continues to communicate individual impact to sustain and drive engagement. 

Join a community working towards the digital transformation of healthcare

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Maximise Your Donation Channels with SPARK TSL®

SPARK TSL®'s WiFi solution comes with the ability to add data-click portals to the WiFi authentication landing page. Trusts and their charities can collect data and use it to drive donations. Watch the webinar

SPARK TSL® acquires Hospedia

This webinar provides insight as to why the acquisition happened, what our customers are saying about it, and how this affects the healthcare industry for the better. Watch the webinar