Dermatology sustainability: case study of potential efficiency savings and waste reduction in dermatology punch biopsies using the Healthcare Environmental Performance Tool

Dear Editor, The National Health Service (NHS) ambition to deliver net zero care by 2040 requires the NHS to deep-dive into their operations1 to identify opportunities for efficiency gain and optimize waste management. Through improving energy efficiency and estate management, switching to electrification of the NHS fleet, reducing anaesthetic gas and changing to low carbon inhalers and sustainable procurement, these strategies are on track to deliver major cost savings and carbon reduction. A next key frontier to delivering further sustainability gain is through transformation of models of care. Recently published sustainability guidance offered an opportunity for deep reflection of dermatology minor surgery practices with the aid of the Healthcare Environmental Performance Tool (HEPT), a prototype performance-based decision tool, which I developed to facilitate continuing self-assessment of the sustainability and costs of a model of care.