Action on the environment and saving water stepped-up at NHS Trusts in sustainability days

Increasing steps on sustainability with staff – and finding ways to reduce carbon emissions during the year – was the focus of environmental days for two health service trusts.

Hospital staff, including doctors and nurses and those in other roles joined in with activities and got involved to learn more practical ways to save water at home and at work.

It’s part of actions to boost water efficiency and support further progress on Green Plans at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust which runs Stepping Hill Hospital and local community NHS services and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. Increasing water efficiency can help reduce carbon emissions, accelerating decarbonisation actions underway at sites in England and Scotland.

Business water retailer Water Plus provided engagement and awareness sessions at Stepping Hill Hospital and Tameside General Hospital to promote water saving tips to those working for the two hospital trusts.

Laura Swann, Sustainability Manager at the Trusts, said “By working together Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and Water Plus are empowering staff with simple, practical ways to save water every day. This partnership strengthens our commitment to sustainability, helping us protect vital resources, reduce environmental impact, and build a greener future for our community.”

In August 2025, a Joint Green Plan was adopted by the two Trusts to reach Net Zero by 2040, for emissions they directly control (the NHS Carbon Footprint). It also set a Net Zero target of 2045 for emissions the Trusts can influence (NHS Carbon Footprint Plus).

The joined-up programme allows best practice to be shared across both organisations to drive further progress towards the Net Zero targets. It follows Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s Green Plan, launched in 2022, with recent environmental initiatives including tree-planting at the trust, in the last year.

The two trusts are also adding data loggers onto water meters, in their proactive water management approach with Water Plus. It’s part of steps by the Trusts to further build operational resilience and identify more efficiency opportunities, with daily water data feeding into an analysis portal from the loggers.

In the events, Water Plus ran a 3-question quiz on the days to get people at the two Trusts engaging around water awareness, including how many litres of water could be used in a 6-minute shower. Shower-timers were provided for staff as part of the engagement days, which saw more than 100 people working at the Trusts joining the sessions.

Dan Hutchins, a Water Plus Key Account Manager who works with both Trusts and ran the collaborative awareness events with the Trusts, said: “A running tap could use between 6 litres and 9 litres a minute and many hadn’t realised how much water can be used in that time. Doing the event and the quiz really helped people identify more actions to consider and take, including the importance of reporting dripping taps to facilities teams.

“It was great to engage with staff in such a wide range of roles at the two trusts, who were all aware of how to report any signs of a leak at sites, which was great to see. The day emphasised how everyone can make a difference to cut water use where it’s not needed.

“Water efficiency at work and at home are really important topics and it was clear that staff at the Trust were more aware of how – and where – they’re using water.”

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest employers in the area, with over 6,000 staff and it’s a specialist ‘hub’ centre for emergency and high-risk general surgery – one of only four in Greater Manchester and covering the South East sector of the region.

Water Plus, which is the largest water retailer in the UK, won a UK Customer Satisfaction Award in 2025, from best practice leaders for work with customers around water management and boosting water savings. It’s also a finalist for two UK Customer Satisfaction Awards in 2026, for the awards run by best practice leaders the Institute of Customer Service.

Additional information:

Further detail on the Joint Green Plan for the two hospital trusts, which runs to 2028 at: www.tamesideandglossopicft.nhs.uk/about-us/sustainability

For the emissions the Trusts control directly (the NHS Carbon Footprint), their Joint Green Plan sets out the Trusts will reach net zero by 2040, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2028 to 2032.  

For the emissions the Trusts can influence (the NHS Carbon Footprint Plus), their Joint Green Plan sets out the Trusts will reach net zero by 2045, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2036 to 2039.  

The sustainability days at the two Trusts were held in 2026.