Sheelagh Rogers (CAVUHB) and Nagham Katif (Cardiff University)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Cardiff University
Context
University Dental Hospital (UDH) treats over 100,000 outpatients annually and has strong links with Cardiff University’s Dental School. The Dental School is the only one in Wales, providing leadership in teaching, research, and patient care.
Economically, NHS funding constraints challenge training and care provision, requiring a cost- saving innovative approach without degradation of quality.
Environmentally, NHS dental services constitute 3% of whole NHS’ operations. Pressure exists to reduce this from NHS Wales’ Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan.
Socially, expectations in dentistry are changing. Sustainability is increasingly an important element in the delivery of oral health.
UDH and Dental School have recognised this and appointed two Sustainability Leads.
They will lead collaboratively on an agenda of Sustainable development in education, training and patient care. And improve Sustainable practice by reducing waste.
Project Proposal
Sustainable issues within UDH have been mapped to Bevan’s WASTES typology.
Service evaluation projects and quality improvement projects (QIP) will focus on the 6 WASTES theme:
Workforce
- Addressing skill mix -UDH theatres.
Administration
- Addressing DNA rates -Paediatric clinic.
- Patient Information Leaflets- email .
Services
- Reviewing use of Single Use Plastics[i].
Treatment
- Decommissioning Nitrous Oxide within UDH.
- Spread and Scale of Virtual clinics.
Energy
- Patients travel to orthodontic appointments- completion of Masters thesis.
Systems
- Upskilling Dental Nurses – Intra Oral scanning.
Approach
All projects involve Cardiff University students, UDH clinicians and staff.
QIP training and project design from Health Education in Wales (HEIW) and both project leads.
Register projects on CAVUHB Audit Management and Tracking system (AMaT).
Complete on all projects – where possible- within 12 months.
Anticipated benefits
- Reduce waste, encouraging a tangible sustainable change.
- Raise awareness of the sustainability agenda.
- Embed sustainability into dental education – all levels.
- Will aim to represent a cultural and educational shift in attitudes and behaviours.
- Promote quality improvement work in dentistry.
