Reducing waste in the NHS: an overview of the literature and challenges for the nursing profession
Virginia Minogue Research lead, commissioning strategy directorate, NHS England
Bill Wells Head of research and development, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Waste in the NHS is estimated to account for 20% of health expenditure. This article examines the literature on reducing waste, analyses some approaches to waste reduction, and identifies the role that nurses and other health professionals can play in developing a sustainable NHS. For the purposes of the article, and to inform nursing practice, the definition of, and discussion about, waste is broader than that outlined by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) controlled waste regulations, and the Royal College of Nursing classification. It includes clinical waste, waste arising out of clinical practice, service delivery and care, infrastructure, and carbon emissions.
Nursing Management.
23, 4, 20-25.
doi: 10.7748/nm.2016.e1515
Correspondence
Virginia.minogue1@nhs.net
Peer review
This article has been subject to double-blind review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Conflict of interest
None declared
Received: 13 October 2015
Accepted: 22 April 2016
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