Ealing

Chair: Dr Vasu Siva

Dr Vasu Siva is the North West London Primary Care Clinical Lead for the Green Agenda (Ealing Borough) and a GP Partner at Hillview Surgery, Perivale.

Aim for the Ealing borough:

My goal is to work with the GP practices to share learnings whilst raising awareness of the NHS’s net zero ambitions bringing positive behavioural change to our patients, our communities, and our environment, now and in the future. In this journey, I want to support GP practices to achieve The Ealing Standard Green Initiative (2022-23) and Investment Impact Fund targets, while encouraging the primary care team to contribute towards reducing our carbon footprint. I will be sharing simple, bite-sized practical tips!

Ealing Standard Green Initiative:

We will be focusing on inhaler changes, green travel, efficient appointment timings, recycling and medicine usage, whilst celebrating our achievements and learning from each other.

Example of green changes in my practice:

I have always been aware of climate change and its impact on our daily lives. It is only since the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt that I needed to do something about it. In July 2020, I introduced the ‘Hillview Going Greener’ initiative at my practice to raise awareness of the importance of carbon footprint reduction and implemented measures to help tackle climate change. We signed up to the RCGP’s Green Impact for Health Toolkit. Through regular staff discussions, we identified ways to reduce our carbon footprint. We introduced ‘Green champions’ to help facilitate dialogue and take practical ideas forward. This initiative certainly brought the whole practice together as ‘one Hillview team’, resulting in us achieving the Gold plus award in 2021.

My passion for the “green initiative” has led me to this role. I want to support practices to achieve similar awards! This would unquestionably increase staff morale, improve patient care and wellbeing, reduce GP workload and improve finances. Additionally, it will help reduce your practice’s carbon footprint contributing to our NHS’s net zero ambitions.

Our belief is: ‘If it’s good for the planet, it’s good for you too!’

If you would like to be part of our local group or find out more, please email: greenerpracticenorthlondon@gmail.com

Useful resources:

Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service
NWL Green plan

Achievements & Celebrations

Hillview surgery is proud to have enrolled the Green Impact for Health Toolkit in July 2020. The invaluable practical tips and resources in the toolkit helped us to achieve not only the Gold plus certificate in July 2021 but also the RCGP Inaugural PROactive Practice Award!

Thank you to everyone who contributed in developing and maintaining this awesome Toolkit.

Greenford Avenue Family Health Practice

Mill Hill Surgery

Gordon House Surgery

Crown Street Surgery

The story of our success – Ealing practices ‘Going Greener’ 2022/23

Greener Leader Blog Series: Going Greener in General Practice

General Practice Award 2023 – Short listed