A Sustainable Healthcare Logistics Success Story

Sustainability is not an option; it’s a responsibility.” Here at Hampshire Hospitals – Wessex Procurement Ltd, NHS Supply Chain and EMSOL (with our Sustainable Travel manager) looked at the deliveries coming onto our site. Together, by accepting that responsibility, we’ve improved our carbon footprint by reducing the number of lorries delivering to us. At the same time, we’ve seen additional benefits. Reduced man-hours handling goods, fewer deliveries within the hospital, better planning by those ordering ward stock, to name a few. All in all, a very positive outcome by all those involved.

Mark Wilks, Chief Supplies Officer, Wessex Procurement Ltd

The Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Wessex Procurement Ltd have taken a proactive step in sustainable healthcare logistics to reduce air pollution around their hospital sites. By working with NHS Supply Chain and EMSOL, they identified ways to cut vehicle emissions from deliveries, helping improve air quality and support their Green Plan goals.

Through smarter scheduling and logistics optimisation, they successfully reduced the number of delivery vehicles visiting the hospital, minimised carbon emissions, and improved efficiency for hospital staff.

This case study outlines the approach, the benefits achieved — including CO₂ savings, better air quality, and streamlined hospital operations — and how these improvements contribute to both environmental sustainability and patient wellbeing. Read on to learn how simple changes can make a significant impact.

Wessex Procurement Ltd and Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are committed to advancing their Green Plan sustainability goals while ensuring no disruption to critical hospital operations. They recognised that vehicle emissions, especially Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) and tiny air pollutants particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), posed potential health risks in a healing environment.

Wessex Procurement and stakeholders across the trust partnered with EMSOL, a leading cleantech company specialising in real-time air quality monitoring, to assess and improve air quality at the trust, Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

EMSOL’s precision monitoring and camera analytics to identify specific delivery vehicles causing spikes in pollutants such as NO2 and particulate matter (PM), which can be directly associated with CO2.

Wessex Procurement approached NHS Supply Chain, an organisation which is part of the NHS and whose role is to source, deliver and supply healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales, to understand opportunities available to reduce emissions from their deliveries. Wessex Procurement team collaborated with NHS Supply Chain’s Network Optimisation team, who are responsible for identifying and delivering efficiencies across the whole supply chain operation.

As NHS Supply Chain provides cost-efficient, resilient, clinically assured products in a wide range of categories, it regularly delivers essential stock to the hospital. Their team worked in partnership with the hospital team and EMSOL to explore solutions that could reduce emissions while maintaining efficient and reliable deliveries.

Supporting the NHS reach net zero by 2045 is crucial and one of NHS Supply Chain’s key goals. The success of this project demonstrates how exploring simple changes to ordering and delivery patterns can bring big benefits to air quality, for everyone’s benefit.

Heidi Barnard, Head of Sustainability at NHS Supply Chain

NHS Supply Chain and Wessex Procurement worked together to optimise delivery processes at the Royal Hampshire Hospitals, ensuring a more sustainable and efficient approach.

Steps taken and the benefits achieved:

Hospital zoning for smarter distribution: Wessex Procurement mapped out requisition points into hospital site zones and adjusted ordering schedules. This allowed hospital staff to distribute stock to specific areas on designated days rather than delivering everywhere daily. This approach helped reduce corridor miles, cut down time spent sorting mixed stock, and improve overall operational efficiency.

Implementation and monitoring: Changes were implemented in mid-October 2024, with both NHS Supply Chain and Wessex Procurement tracking the outcomes. Despite winter pressures, the new system remained effective, improving stock movement and delivery reliability across the hospital.

Through this joint effort, NHS Supply Chain and Wessex Procurement successfully reduced emissions, improved stock management, and created a streamlined, efficient process. This model could be replicated in other NHS trusts looking to enhance their sustainability initiatives.

During the first three months of the project, significant improvements were delivered:

This project demonstrates how small changes in logistics can lead to significant improvements in air quality, efficiency and sustainability. NHS trusts looking to reduce emissions while streamlining operations can take inspiration from this approach. By reviewing delivery patterns and collaborating with partner organisations and suppliers, trusts can implement practical solutions at no additional cost that support their sustainability goals and improve healthcare environments for staff and patients alike.

This project demonstrates that targeted monitoring, through real-world measurement of air quality linked to direct causes, is a workable and scalable approach to engaging numerous partners in helping to reduce or eliminate emissions. This is a significant first step for a targeted and straightforward approach to reduce air and noise pollution, and we are proud to support the NHS in delivering this measurable change.

Freddie Talberg, CEO, EMSOL

Building on the success of this project, further opportunities for efficiency and sustainability are being explored:

• The ordering process is under review to maximise benefits across requisition points
• Plans are underway to apply this approach at other hospital sites, including Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.
• Work continues with EMSOL to engage additional suppliers and explore wider emission reduction opportunities.
• EMSOL will provide ongoing air quality monitoring, assessing the project’s long-term impact and setting emission reduction targets.

NHS Supply Chain’s Logistics Network Optimisation team is supporting trusts in delivering measurable improvements across the whole supply chain. If you’re interested in learning more about the project and how similar approaches could benefit your trust in the future, please contact your Regional ICS Manager or reach out to our Customer Service team for further information.