NHS Supply Chain, responsible for supplying medical equipment and logistics services to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), ensures a stable supply chain for thousands of hospitals and healthcare facilities nationwide.

This year, the organization partnered with Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Wessex Procurement to optimize hospital deliveries and reduce air pollution. EMSOL, an air quality monitoring company, joined the project and identified ways to cut vehicle emissions without increasing costs.

NHS Supply Chain's network optimization team reviewed the hospital's ordering model and proposed improvements. These included consolidating delivery days and distributing deliveries more evenly throughout the week, rather than concentrating them on peak days.

NHS Supply Chain trucks transport medical goods to hospitals, contributing to supply chain optimization and supporting sustainability goals. _Photo: NHS Supply Chain_

In the first three months, the project saw significant results: delivery days to receiving points dropped by 82%, from 547 to 97, while maintaining sufficient supplies. Monthly deliveries decreased from 59 to 41 by eliminating unnecessary supplemental trips. Nested or half-empty containers were also removed, reducing container movements by 338.

The optimized schedule reduced vehicle traffic, cutting annual CO2 emissions by approximately 972 kg. Reduced NO2 and particulate matter emissions improved air quality, benefiting patients, staff, and visitors by minimizing pollution-related health risks.

Adam Tewkesbury, head of sustainability at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said, "Fewer deliveries mean cleaner air for patients, staff, and visitors. This initiative shows how collaboration can bring real benefits for everyone."

Beyond environmental benefits, the project reduced workplace accidents like slips and falls from moving containers, freed up storage space, eased inventory pressure, and streamlined goods management by avoiding peak-day bottlenecks.

Heidi Barnard, head of sustainability at NHS Supply Chain, emphasized, "Supporting the NHS's goal of net-zero emissions by 2045 is our priority. This success demonstrates how simple changes to ordering and delivery can significantly benefit the environment and the community."

Gia Han (_Logistics Manager_)