Salix Finance, the independent not for profit company, today (07 December) announces that it has been awarded an additional £20million by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) for its successful public sector energy efficiency loans programme.

The Government has shown its commitment to improving health outcomes for patients by shining a light on variation in NHS healthcare services.

News highlights this fortnight are:

• The SDU sets a launch date to update the NHS Carbon Footprint
• NHS Sustainability Day of Action
• Monitor Consultation needs your feedback

To view the full bulletin click here

Festive parties make the last Friday night before Christmas notorious as the busiest shift of the year for 999 teams.

Over half a million extra staff will not need to pay any extra into their pensions next year, it was announced yesterday.

-- New goals to measure the quality of care in the NHS are to be set, with patient surveys at the heart of the initiative.

The NHS Operating Framework is an annual publication that sets out the priority areas, system levers, and enablers that support delivery of high quality healthcare across the NHS, and was released on 24th November by the DH.

News highlights this fortnight are:

• The NHS celebrates reducing its building energy use
• Join us for our Route Map for Sustainable Health workshop;
• Find out who was judged the best Good Corporate Citizen in the NHS.

To view the full bulletin click here

The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust has topped the Environment Agency's carbon reduction commitment league table with a score of 100%.

Healthcare and security workers have welcomed the prototypes unveiled today, which aim to reduce the incidence of violence and aggression against staff, as part of a project to discover the common triggers of frustration and anxiety in A&E departments.

Circle Holdings Plc is pleased to announce that Circle Health Limited, the social enterprise co-owned by employees, clinicians and Circle Holdings Plc, has signed a definitive contract to run Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust in Huntingdonshire, which will see Circle manage an estimated £1 billion of revenue over the 10 year contract period. The contract is scheduled to commence in February 2012.

It has been announced that Circle Health Limited has signed a definitive contract to run Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust in Huntingdonshire as of February 2012. Circle will manage an estimated £1bn of revenue over the 10 year contract period, becoming the first ever non-state provider to deliver a full range of NHS district general hospital services in the process.

News highlights this fortnight are:

•    The CRC Performance League Tables – 4 NHS orgs listed at the top;
•    NHS Sustainability Day of Action - 28th March 2012;
•    New team members have joined the NHS SDU

To view the full bulletin click here

A BIG thank you has been given to staff across Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals, who have helped to slash the carbon footprint of the Trust by changing their travel behaviour.

As part of the Department of Health’s Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) Technology Innovation Programme, Showcase Hospitals have undertaken local technology reviews of infection related products or technologies in which they have a specific interest. This is with the objective to help Directors of Infection Prevention and Control and other stakeholders to decide whether they should consider any of these products or technologies as part of their Trust’s strategy to reduce healthcare associated infections. Below are the findings from three such reviews.