A new green Nephrhology initiative at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust is making treatment more sustainable. 

The programme was developed by staff at the Oxford Kidney Unit at the Churchill Hospital and is reducing unnecessary waste, while maintaining the highest standards of patient safety and care.

Dialysis removes waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys are no longer able to do so effectively. Haemodialysis is a specific type of dialysis which uses around 500 litres of water per session and generates approximately 2.5kg of waste. There are about 105,000 haemodialysis treatments delivered by OUH each year.

The programme has improved how dialysis machines are managed between treatments to avoid unnecessary water and electricity use. This is projected to save the Trust about £10,000 per year in electricity costs.

Patients are now also asked to bring their own blankets to reduce laundry demands.

Saline priming bags have been removed in one unit, saving approximately £1,400 per week. This is now be scaled across other clinical areas.

Two units have moved away from using approximately 300 disposable cups a week, saving nearly £2,000 a year and reducing waste.

Green Nephrology 'champions' are now in place across all dialysis units to help maintain momentum and support further innovation, including OUH services at the Horton General Hospital in Banbury, Wycombe Hospital, Milton Keynes University Hospital, Whitehouse Health Centre in Milton Keynes, Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury and Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

Dr Ayushi Gupta, a Renal Registrar at OUH, said: "What has made this programme work is the way ideas and energy have flowed between our units. A small win at one site – a team switching to reusable cups, or a nurse spotting a way to reduce unnecessary saline use – quickly becomes inspiration for another. That cross-pollination is what turns individual acts into a genuine shift in culture."

Charlotte Turner, Matron for Renal Medicine at OUH, said: "This programme shows how clinically‑led innovation can make a real difference. Our dialysis units deliver thousands of treatments every year, so changes that seem modest on the surface add up to bigger environmental gains.

"We are incredibly proud of the teams involved for driving improvements that support both patient care and our commitment to sustainability."