SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
CREATING A
SUSTAINABLE
SOCIETY
Ramsay staff redefining global strategy to create a sustainable society
A cross-section of Ramsay Health Care staff from around Australia are helping to redefine the company’s global corporate social responsibility
(CSR) strategy.
Ramsay has a vision to be one of the most respected and
successful health care companies in the world. We want
to contribute to a sustainable society by caring for the
environment, our staff and our communities, as well as
through responsible leadership and quality and safety.
Ramsay has engaged a team who are experts in the
area of corporate social responsibility to design a
Sustainability Flagship Program.
About 35 employees recently participated in a workshop
in Sydney, where they discussed key challenges and
priorities and brain-stormed innovative solutions.
8 The Ramsay Way 2019 | 03
Attendees included nursing staff, representatives
from environmental services, catering, allied health, IT,
workplace health and safety, as well as hospital CEOs,
and more.
Staff worked in teams to co-design tangible and
actionable sustainability initiatives. They focused on
ideas that were big enough to make a difference but
small enough to be actionable.
Topics ranged from waste management and helping
minority groups to staff engagement and wellness.
Similar workshops are being held in France, the
United Kingdom and the Nordics, where Ramsay also
has operations.
The next steps will be to consolidate the outcomes
of the workshops, design a global flagship program
and roll out the strategy on an international scale.
If you are a Ramsay Australia staff member, we’d like
to hear about your ideas.
Ramsay hospitals wage million-dollar war on waste
Ramsay Health Care has created a new $1 million Environmental Sustainability Fund to support hospitals to undertake projects that reduce carbon emissions.
During this financial year, Ramsay sites can apply for
funding of up to $100,000 per project to undertake
initiatives like:
• Energy efficient lighting
• Building management systems to improve energy efficiency
• Upgrading plumbing with water efficient appliances such
as taps, shower heads and toilet cisterns
• Alternative energy options such as solar power
• Efficient motors that vary speed and energy use based
on demand
Chief Operating Officer Kate Munnings said: “This
initiative is a great opportunity for hospitals to
demonstrate their commitment to care for the
environment – by helping to reduce unnecessary
waste and to minimise consumption.”
“We have a responsibility to continuously seek to
improve our environmental performance in ways that
are sustainable, practical, meaningful, cost-effective
and innovative. The 2020 Environmental Sustainability
Fund will further enable Ramsay Health Care to fulfil this
commitment.”
Chief Risk Officer Chanelle McEnallay said: “Our
maintenance managers are really excited about the
opportunity to secure funding for sustainable projects
that will better meet our customers’ expectations and
lead to better outcomes for all.”
Ramsay has joined Baxter Healthcare’s PVC Recycling in
Hospitals program, which involves collecting intravenous
fluids bags, oxygen masks and tubing and converting
them into garden hoses and outdoor playground mats.
The initiative also includes repurposing aluminium
products into items such as bike frames.
In the first 12 months of the program, sites converted
more than 60,000 kg of PVC intravenous bags and
29,000kg of aluminium bottles into useable products.
24 Ramsay facilities currently participate in the scheme –
and this figure is set to increase with more sites looking
to join in the near future.
Last financial year, Ramsay Health Care diverted 28% of
its total waste from landfill. This means the equivalent
of more than 3,700 tons of waste was re-directed to
some form of recycling.
Items on Ramsay’s recycling list include
batteries, Kimguard sterile wraps, paper and
cardboard, electronic waste, operating theatre
plastics, ink cartridges, green waste and
grease trap waste.
Australia has been identified as one of the
driest countries in the world and the recent
droughts have been a stark reminder of the
need to conserve water. Ramsay sites have taken
measures to save this precious resource by installing
water efficient taps, toilet cisterns and water tanks for
garden use. Facilities have also replaced some gardens
and grass with drought tolerant plants.
For the first time, Ramsay Health Care has been able to
collect accurate water usage data for all its Australian
sites, which will assist in demonstrating how its hospitals
are managing water consumption.
All eligible applications for the 2020 Environmental
Sustainability Fund will be considered and approved
on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis.