Ramsay's global green mission – HESTA awards finalist

Bringing new life into the world is a daily joy for midwives such as Lucinda Port – but what will life on Planet Earth be like for these future generations?

Will we be able to avert the climate crisis? Will humans learn how to live sustainably?

Ramsay Health Care Australia, where Ms Port works as a Clinical Midwife Specialist at Sydney's North Shore Private Hospital, has for the past year been addressing its environmental footprint – and the impact of its operational actions on the planet.

The country's biggest private healthcare provider has launched a new sustainability strategy, and has already been recognised with selection as a finalist in the Outstanding Organisation category at the 2021 HESTA Nursing and Midwifery Awards.

"As a midwife, helping a couple bring new life into the world is one of the most natural and sustainable things a human cando," Ms Port said.

"Working for a company who puts environmental sustainability at the forefront of its future plans is very important to me."

Having taken part in the group's sustainability workshop in 2020, she was delighted to see some of the ideas generated come to fruition as Ramsay implements its plans – such as aimingto remove up to 30 million single-use plastic products and water bottles from landfill every year.

"My colleagues bring new ideas to the table every day and I'm very proud to be a part of the Ramsay sustainability strategy and pass these ideas along," Ms Port said.

"The future of mine, and the children I help bring into the world, depends on us."

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Mt Wilga Private Hospitalprevented 60,000 styrofoam cups from ending up in landfill in a six-month period by introducing 300 ceramic mugs in October 2020.

"Our stores team was (previously) ordering between 8,000 to 10,000styrofoamcups every month," Support Services Manager Nicolas Dakin said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Ramsay set a World Environment Day goal of removing 24 million plastic items from 5 June 2020 to 5 June 2021.

Even though the global health crisis caused supply issues with several of the sustainable alternatives, and suspension of elective surgery in Australia meant the volume of products used was lower than predicted, the company still saved more than nine million items from landfill by the end of last year.

"Ramsay is proud to be making a meaningful, positive impact on the environment despite the challenges presented by the pandemic," Ms Panuccio said.

"It's wonderful that we have still been able to continue reducing the use of plastic items so significantly considering the unforeseen circumstances due to COVID-19."

She said the company's key environmental sustainability goals for the next five years are toreduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy intensity per patient day, andinstall renewable energy alternatives such as solar panels on sites.

"The targets we have proposed will be challenging and the associated works program will be significant, but with the level of commitment and support we believe we will achieve our targets," Ms Panuccio said.

"We will continue to look at how we can avoid plastics and reduce waste, particularly packaging, investigate better treatment of food waste, and understand how we use and manage water."

Ramsay Australia has also launched a new range of professional development programs specifically tailored for nurses and midwives.

Announced on International Day of the Midwife (Wednesday 5 May) and ahead of International Nurses Day (Wednesday 12 May), the four programs will nurture future nursing leaders, provide a two-year fellowship program for graduates, reduce red tape that prevents nurses and midwives from spending more time with patients, and support new Directors of Clinical Services with comprehensive education and training. 

"As I've been visiting our hospitals around Australia, our nurses and midwives have been telling me they want more education," CEO Carmel Monaghan said.

"Paul Ramsay always said, 'Our people are our most important asset', and I am big a supporter of this philosophy."

The 2021 HESTA Nursing and Midwifery Awards winners will be named on Thursday 6 May.

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Read more: Private hospital trio are finalists in HESTA nurse and midwifery awards

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