A more environmentally sustainable approach to healthcare can help to reduce costs, according to a British professor.

Mahmood Bhutta, professor of sustainable healthcare at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said in a presentation at KPMG this week that a single-use approach to medical equipment had resulted in wasted resources.

“We buy it, we use it, and we throw it away, and it never used to be like this,” he said.

“Three quarters of medical electronics in the National Health Service are single-use. I find that disgusting. We don’t throw away our mobile phones, but when it’s medical, we use it and throw it away.”

Delivering a presentation on sustainability in healthcare, Dr Bhutta said that the healthcare sector is responsible for about 4 per cent to 5 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in most countries, with Britain alone producing 25 million tonnes of CO².

He said there are a number of ways to improve efficiency and lower that figure, including reducing unnecessary appointments, investigations and products.

“I know some of my juniors will order all sorts of examinations for no reason,” he said “I don’t get any money from ordering extra investigations but in other health systems, when there is remuneration for the health provider, they will order extra investigations.

“When we look at the US in comparison to the UK, the number of investigations, the number of operations, the number of pharmaceuticals go way beyond what we have in the NHS. And I am pessimistic about why that is.”

Dr Bhutta said there should be strong guidance to determine when tests are appropriate, but added that it was a complex matter given the need for doctors to do what they think is best for their patients and their community.

“No one is saying we should compromise care,” he said. “That is not what we are trying to achieve.”

He said that there are some medications that have little to no benefit and many seniors are overprescribed medications.

“Being on multiple medications can be harmful to them,” Dr Bhutta said. “We have seen a big movement in the geriatric area to stop too many medicines, too many interactions.”

A major issue Dr Bhutta highlighted was the amount of waste produced by the healthcare sector, noting that millions of medical gloves are thrown away in Britain every day.

He added that medical gowns and metal instruments such as scissors are often branded as single-use despite the availability of equipment to properly clean and sanitise them for reuse.

He told attendees that a lack of understanding about infection risks contributed to items such as tourniquets and medical tools being thrown away unnecessarily, while there was a financial benefit to manufacturers to promote disposable options.

Dr Bhutta added that the single-use medical industry also has a human cost, with the products often being produced in sweatshop labour conditions in Malaysia, China and Pakistan, sometimes by children as young as 7.

He said that governments can also commit to a policy of purchasing reusable products rather than disposable options when possible, which would help to send a signal to manufacturers.

In addition to reducing carbon footprints, Dr Bhutta said that there is ample evidence that “going green” can save money.

“I would make an argument that our planet and the way we treat workers is important, but money is also going to be an important thing,” he said.

“In our Green Surgery Report, we had 142 case studies we looked at and all reported that they saved money. Now, there was no standardised methodology and possible reporting bias, but the idea behind being green saves money is clearly there.”

He said that in his hospital, a focus on reducing waste had resulted in savings of ₤301,000 per year.

“Scotland has instigated something called the Green Theatres Programme. They have a number of initiatives about things like switching off unused equipment and reducing and reusing equipment,” Dr Bhutta said.

“I have just seen the data last week. They are projecting an annual savings of 22,000 tonnes of carbon and nearly ₤8 million in costs.”