Healthcare organisations from across Brighton and Hove have met to look at how to cut waste to improve services for patients.
They took part in a conference at Hove Town Hall which brought together individuals and organisations from several different areas of health and social care including voluntary and community sector partners.
The main NHS trusts were represented including University Hospitals Sussex, Sussex Community Foundation Trust and Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust.
There were GPs, pharmacists and people from Brighton and Sussex Medical School as well as Healthwatch, the integrated care board and Brighton and Hove City Council.
The heard that most people want more GP appointments and shorter waiting lists. One of the fastest ways to free up the money for that is to reduce waste within the system.
The conference discussed medicines that are ordered and never used, missed appointments and the responsibility of institutions to use green energy and to reuse equipment where it is safe, rather than throw it away.
Those attending the conference earlier this month agreed that just telling people to waste less would not work.
They said that services needed to make it easier for patients to change a repeat prescription or cancel an appointment and to give staff the time to fix wasteful processes when they spot them.
Unused medicines were a clear example, given that they cannot be reused once they have left the pharmacy, even unopened. Professionals know that it is not uncommon to see boxes piling up in cupboards.
The conference was told: “A good start would be for all of us to check our own repeat prescriptions – and our relatives’ – so nothing is ordered that is not needed. The pharmacy or practice can take items off the list.”
The conference also agreed that changes should be worked out with residents and plans are under way to do that moving forward.
If those plans win support, Brighton and Hove has an opportunity to become a national leader in reducing environmental harm and saving money while improving patient care.
Dr Adam Fazakerley is chief executive of Brighton and Hove GP Federation.
