Decarbonising Diagnostics: How Siemens and NHS Supply Chain are Driving Sustainable Innovation

Whilst the bulk of our influence will contribute to reducing scope 3 carbon emissions of the NHS (the indirect emissions), there are opportunities to influence direct emissions, and the diagnostic space is one such area.  

Siemens Healthineers are one of our biggest suppliers in the Capital Equipment Portfolio and their breadth of diagnostic equipment (CT/MRI etc.) is critical to support NHS priorities to reduce waiting times, early diagnosis, effective treatments and efficient workflow.

Technology plays a huge part in delivering good patient outcomes, but that technology is also energy intensive with Diagnostic suites often carbon hotspots within a hospital. 

Identifying where the carbon is sitting within the lifecycle of this product area leads onto the question, what interventions might be required to reduce that impact? Equipment such as CT / MRI has significant in-use impacts in terms of energy they use to operate and therefore carbon impact.

The capital team are looking beyond cash releasing savings to what ‘system savings’ and whole life value purchases can deliver.

How the equipment is designed/specified plays a role in reducing impact. Eco power modes have the potential to improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon liability of the equipment. Shorter acquisition times can reduce energy and carbon usage and also lead to better image quality. Better quality images could contribute to better throughput and less repeat scans, helping to break the bottleneck and backlog within a pathway. Improving efficiency of a diagnostic pathway has the potential to contribute to decarbonisation.

As important, is how the equipment is used in the system and we want to work collaboratively with the supplier, applying a methodology to understand the sustainable value here.

Resource efficiency is also a watchword for sustainability; specifically not exploiting resources that are scarce.

Helium is a vital element in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. One of its applications in industry and particularly healthcare is that it can be found wherever there is a need for immense cooling. Depending on the type of device, conventional MRI scanners can require between 1,000-1,500 litres of liquid helium to cool the magnet within the scanner. Traditional scanners are heavy and also require a quench pipe to ensure the liquid helium, now turned to gas, can be safety vented out into the atmosphere.

Helium is a non-renewable finite resource on earth despite being the most common element in the universe and abundant in space. Its scarcity along with the complicated processes to extract and purify means it’s rare and expensive. MRI production has in the past been affected by shortages of this valuable resource.  

It’s found in trace quantities in gas fields and is a by-product of methane or carbon dioxide natural gas production which carries a significant carbon footprint.

Siemens Healthineers have been focused, through their research and development, on ways to use this resource more prudently and economically. For example, cooling the magnet down through developments in the equipment, which Siemens call ‘Dry Cool Technology’, as well as identifying ways to recycle it. New technologies are focused on measures that reduce the amount of liquid helium required to less than 1 litre, meaning that helium may not be required to the same extent in future. There are many advantages of avoiding the need for helium, new technologies in MRI means installation will be cheaper and easier than conventional MRI. The weight and dimension of the equipment itself will be smaller and potentially more portable, opening up the technology to new locations where care is delivered. 

MRI Scanners typically have a 10-year lifetime although the all-important magnet can last up to 30 years. With capital budgets stretched, customers are wanting to explore the potential for refurbishment where existing equipment can be built up to the newest spec on site (reducing downtime), avoiding the purchase of new equipment and the 3-6 month replacement cycle that usually entails. This circular economy approach is something that we will be including on the new framework.  

Of course, these are not just singular supplier issues we’re talking about, the Diagnostics, Equipment and Services category has a big environmental impact.  

AXREM, the trade body demonstrates its commitment to sustainability through the AXREM Strategic Priorities 2025-2027. Identifying and standardising common practices on areas like Sustainability is an area of focus. Members have ambitious Carbon Reduction Plans. We want to work with the market on pilots and case studies to foster sustainable practice and quantify benefit with our Diagnostics and Sustainability Teams.

If any customers are interested in working with our Imaging and Radiotherapy Team, Suppliers and the Sustainability Team to quantify the sustainable value and co-benefits, please get in touch with us as this will be a focus for projects within the financial year 2025 / 2026:

Other suppliers on the CT / MRI framework can offer these technologies, please discuss this with the team if you are interested.