Sustainable Futures Innovation Fund recipients

2024

Low carbon models of care

• Western Sydney Local Health District - Minimising Dialysis Waste Through Incremental Peritoneal Dialysis.
• Northern Sydney Local Health District - Dialysis Water Recycling,
• Mid North Coast Local Health District - The Rational Cannulation Program - Reduction of unnecessary peripheral intravenous cannulas (PIVCs) in Emergency Departments and Hospitals.

Pharmaceuticals and medicines/Net zero supply chain

Central Coast Local Health District - Battery Infusion Pumps for Hospital in the Home Patients.

Staff education and engagement

• Sydney Children's Hospital Network - Empowering Gas Monitoring for Better Care: A Smart Dashboard for Sustainability and Healthcare Efficiency.
• eHealth - New Starter and Checklists.

Climate resilience

• Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network - A Pilot Project: Sustaining People, Land and Culture Through Growing Native Plants with First Nations Patients at the Forensic Hospital.
• NSW Ambulance - Utilising Low-Carbon Remote Piloted Aircraft System Solutions to Support NSW Ambulance Aeromedical Operations.

Energy, assets and travel

• HealthShare NSW - Laundry Electrification Program.
• NSW Ambulance - Developing Decision Support Capability to Optimise Asset Tasking within Aeromedical Operations.
• Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District - Neuropsychology Online - Reducing Carbon Emissions from Travel and Paper Wastage in ISLHD Rehabilitation and Medical Psychology.

2023

Clinical care transformation/Procurement and waste

South Western Sydney Local Health District - A glove reduction pilot project empowering staff to strengthen hand hygiene practices and limit waste from unnecessary non-sterile glove use.

Clinical care transformation/Travel and transport

• Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District - A virtual interpreting service for patients, families, and carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and the deaf community, reducing travel emissions.
• Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District - A pilot project using loaned devices to support virtual care tele-therapy, improving patient access to virtual therapy programs and reducing travel emissions.

Procurement and waste

• Sydney Local Health District - A study assessing the microbiology of patient's home devices to support the safe reuse of continuous positive airway pressure and non-invasive ventilation devices.
• Northern Sydney Local Health District - A pilot project developing an anaesthetic waste gas transformation unit to remove excess gases from the operating theatre before it reaches the environment.
• Central Coast Local Health District - A pilot project reducing the amount of reverse osmosis plant reject water within a renal dialysis service and reusing reject water for sanitary fixture flushing.
• HealthShare NSW - An EnableNSW pilot project developing a circular model for home respiratory equipment ensuring timely supply of essential equipment, reducing waste and carbon emissions.

Energy and assets/Procurement and waste

• South Eastern Sydney Local Health District - A pilot project replacing single-use plastic with re-usable sterilised hollowware to reduce waste in operating theatres.
• Murrumbidgee Local Health District - A pilot gardening and composting project for mental health drug and alcohol consumers.

Pharmaceuticals and medicines

• South Eastern Sydney Local Health District - A medication blister pack recycling program to recapture single-use plastic and aluminium waste from pharmaceuticals.
• Western NSW Local Health District - A medication blister pack recycling program reducing the volume and cost of pharmaceutical waste in Western NSW.

Clinical care transformation/Pharmaceuticals and medicines

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District - A pilot project to improve antimicrobial prescribing through intravenous (IV) antimicrobial therapy, reducing waste and carbon emissions.

Clinical care transformation

Mid North Coast Local Health District - A pilot vegetable garden and outdoor play area for Port Macquarie mental health consumers.

Pharmaceuticals and medicines

Sydney Children's Hospitals Network - A pilot project auditing the use and leakage of nitrous oxide at a large tertiary children's hospital.

Travel and transport

Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network - A pilot project for more environmentally sustainable transport (e-cart) options to deliver clinical goods across the Long Bay complex.

Energy and assets

• NSW Health Pathology - A pilot project installing sensor taps within the NSW Health Pathology Dubbo Laboratory to conserve water and support energy efficiency.
• Sydney Children's Hospitals Network - A pilot project using green transport (WeWatt bike) to power personal devices within a large tertiary children's hospital.