Embedding sustainability at NHS Digital

In September 2021, sustainability content was included in the induction training for NHS Digital’s graduate scheme intake. The graduates were introduced to key sustainability topics and informed of ways they could get involved in making a difference across the organisation.

NHS Digital’s employee engagement survey (Pulse Survey) was distributed to all staff and included several sustainability-themed questions with the aim of providing insight on what further support the organisation could offer its employees in this area. One of the key learnings from the survey was that employees wanted more guidance on how they could reduce the impact of their home energy use, particularly following the move to a hybrid working model. In response, we published a ‘Home energy saver guide’ providing advice for both renters and homeowners on how they can reduce their energy use, which received a positive reaction and engagement from our employees. 

In January 2022, the Sustainability Programme facilitated a well-attended Sustainability Masterclass with Mike Berners-Lee, which raised the profile of sustainability throughout the organisation. Mike, a carbon footprint expert from Lancaster University’s Environment Centre, shared a wealth of advice on how individuals could reduce their carbon footprint.

NHS Digital’s Internal Communications team worked with the Sustainability Programme to build on this momentum and continue staff engagement on sustainability issues, including the introduction of weekly ‘Sustainability Top Tips’ distributed in the NHS Digital weekly newsletters. 

As we look forward to working as one unified organisation at NHS England, it is important we take our sustainability values with us. We know that our aims and actions will need to align and complement those of our new NHS family, and we very much look forward to that collaboration. It presents an exciting opportunity to expedite our shared sustainability goals and build a culture that embeds sustainability at the heart of everything we do.