NHS Supply Chain: Cutting Carbon Beyond Buildings

The NHS faces a paradox in its journey towards environmental sustainability. While NHS organisations have successfully cut emissions from buildings and transport by almost a quarter between 2018-19 and 2024, overall emissions have increased during the same period.

The culprit behind this contradictory trend is the health service's extensive supply chain, which now represents the largest source of carbon emissions across the NHS.

The challenge has prompted renewed focus on supply chain sustainability, with new strategic plans and innovative projects emerging to address the environmental impact of healthcare procurement and logistics.

NHS Wales decarbonisation strategy

The Welsh government recently released a refreshed NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan during Wales Climate Week, setting out a clear roadmap for meeting the legal 2050 Net Zero target.

The plan focuses on six key areas: increasing energy efficiency and use of renewables, supporting more sustainable travel by staff and patients, working with suppliers to minimise environmental impact, delivering environmental sustainability, reducing waste and working as sustainably as possible.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles explains: "We are striving for a more sustainable health system, which will reduce its impact on the environment and provide wider benefits to public health.

"The NHS in Wales can play its part by taking simple steps, such as reducing waste, saving energy and working as sustainably as possible, while focusing on delivering high-quality care."

Global supply chain vulnerabilities

Recent global events have also exposed critical vulnerabilities within NHS supply chains.

According to experts at Marsh, the NHS is navigating one of the most turbulent periods in its history, with global supply chain disruptions emerging as a critical challenge that directly impacts patient care and operational efficiency.

Over the past three years, pandemic-induced disruptions and geopolitical conflicts have led to medicine shortages, forcing community pharmacy teams to spend hours daily searching for scarce medicines. The near insolvency of a major healthcare equipment supplier recently threatened to disrupt critical services for vulnerable patients.

With 65% of companies experiencing at least one bottleneck in their supply chain capable of causing catastrophic disruption, enhancing supply chain resilience has become essential. 

These strategies include strategic evaluation of tariff effects, diversifying transport and logistics, broadening supplier networks and sourcing locations, understanding financial stability across supplier tiers, enhancing supply chain visibility and ethical standards, and using technology for proactive risk management.

Sustainability initiatives

NHS organisations have launched pioneering sustainability projects that demonstrate how supply chain improvements can deliver environmental and operational benefits.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board's Green ICU Team won a Globally Responsible Wales Award in the NHS Welsh Sustainability Awards for its work supporting the twin aims of improving patient care while reducing financial and environmental waste. Over the past five years, the team has reduced plastic waste in the ICU by around 2 tonnes per year, saving tens of thousands of pounds.

Adam Tewkesbury, Head of Sustainability at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, says: "Fewer deliveries means our patients, visitors and staff are breathing cleaner air around the hospital. This initiative shows the power to deliver real benefits to everyone by working together."

The Their Gloves Off campaign aims to reduce the amount of non-sterile gloves worn and is on target to save around £15,000 (US$19,780) this year and a plastic saving of around 490,000 gloves, or approximately 30 gloves per patient per day in critical care.

NHS Supply Chain partnered with Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Wessex Procurement this year to streamline deliveries and reduce air pollution around hospital sites. Working with air quality monitoring specialists EMSOL, the team identified zero-cost ways to cut vehicle emissions from deliveries.

The project enabled a reduction of requisition point delivery days from 547 per month to just 97, representing an 82% reduction without detriment to stock availability. The initiative has cut the number of vehicle deliveries per month from 59 to 41 and eliminated mixed and half-full cages, with 338 fewer cage movements recorded.

NHS Supply Chain projects an annual CO₂ reduction of 972kg at the site through optimised scheduling.

Heidi Barnard, Head of Sustainability at NHS Supply Chain adds: "Supporting the NHS to reach net zero by 2045 is crucial and one of NHS Supply Chain's key goals.

"The success of this project demonstrates how exploring simple changes to ordering and delivery patterns can bring benefits to air quality."

Join NHS Supply Chain at Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE

Heidi will be participating in the upcoming Scope 3 Forum panel.

With 19 years of sustainability experience across Manufacturing, Construction and Healthcare, Heidi helps organisations to understand their sustainability impact and drive strategic initiatives aligned with the NHS Net Zero and Social Value agenda. She specialises in developing strategies, stakeholder collaboration and mentoring future green skills talent.

At the forum, Heidi will focus on tackling Scope 3 emissions, which represent most of the NHS’s carbon footprint through its supplier network.

The panel session will explore measurement methods, collaboration and innovative approaches to reduce emissions throughout complex value chains.

Based in West Yorkshire, Heidi embodies sustainability as a lifestyle and brings a commitment to authenticity and impact in all interactions. She actively promotes sustainable practices both professionally and personally, including open water swimming and cycling.

The panel discussion offers a unique opportunity to learn from a leader dedicated to integrating sustainability deeply into healthcare supply chains and achieving ambitious net zero targets.

About The Net Zero Summit

Join us at the QEII Centre in London on 4–5 March 2026 for Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: The Net Zero Summit, the essential meeting place for senior procurement and supply chain leaders shaping transformation across the UK and Europe.

Designed for a procurement and supply chain-focused audience, the summit will address sustainable sourcing, supplier collaboration on net zero and innovation in responsible supply chains.

Attendees will gain practical insight from industry experts, hear real-world case studies and connect with peers and key decision-makers who are turning sustainability commitments into measurable outcomes.

Once again, PSC LIVE: The Net Zero Summit will be co-located with Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit. 

Click here to guarantee your ticket for this unmissable event.