NHS Logo

Priory Medical Group
In response to patient feedback, we will be extending our prescription query line hours as of 9th June 2025. Please see 'I would like to... order a prescription'

Environmental Sustainability

Our values

The core purpose of Priory Medical Group is to ‘support your health” – which means helping you stay well, emotionally and physically.

This means looking after the places we live and work in.  We’re working to bring our carbon impact down and helping us all see the connections between the health of us all as people, and the health of the planet we all live on.

A climate emergency is a health emergency as the impacts of climate change affect our health too. In addition, practicing medicine in a way that is better for the planet is also better for your health. As such, the NHS is on a mission to reach ‘Net Zero’ by 2040. You can read more about that here.

We are using the RCGP’s Green Impact for Health Toolkit to help us improve patient care and be more environmentally friendly. We are hoping to achieve the Bronze award in the first instance.

Climate emergency 

As with many GP surgeries and other organisations we at Priory Medical Group support the declaration of a climate emergency. The NHS recognises the threat faced to public health as a result of global warming and the climate emergency is a health emergency. Climate change threatens the foundations of good health, with direct and immediate consequences for our patients, the public and the NHS. 

Many of the actions needed to tackle climate change directly improve patient care, health and wellbeing. This is because many of the drivers of climate change are also the drivers of ill health and health inequalities. 

By supporting the declaration of a climate emergency we are:

  1. Acknowledging the climate crisis which threatens population health
  2. Committing to fast-tracking the reduction of our carbon emissions
  3. Working on collaborative actions to deliver zero carbon

What the practice is doing

We are working through the Green Impact toolkit, which includes measures such as:

  • Improving our energy efficiency
  • Improving our recycling provision
  • Looking at staff travel and how we can support people to walk, cycle and use local buses
  • Thinking about what we buy so we treat the planet more kindly
  • Making sure we don’t waste things like paper
  • Making sure people are only taking the medicine they need to feel better
  • To reduce our use of paper, we send messages to patients through the waiting room screen, by text, or email. Please make sure we have your up to date contact details at all times. 

What you can do

We would love to hear your ideas of how we could do better and how we could support our patients to make changes themselves. 

See the Take the Jump website, the Greener Practice website and below for some ideas which can make a real difference to your health and to the planet:

Medicines

  • Return any unused medicines or old inhalers to the pharmacy for safe disposal. Please never pour these down the sink as this puts harmful chemicals into our water systems.
  • We know some people are taking more tablets and medicine than they need. It’s better for you and the planet if we sort that out! Our practice pharmacist can chat with you to see if there are medicines you’re taking you don’t need any more, or aren’t helping you. We can come up with more fun and interesting ways to stay well, and manage anxiety and other conditions, like finding groups in the community you want to connect with, activities you want to join and ways of looking at what you’re eating. We have a group of ‘social prescribers’ who can support you with trying something new. Just ask your doctor or pharmacist about this.
  • If you have asthma the Practice Nurse will tell you if a dry powder inhaler may be suitable. Find out more about this here. Dry powder inhalers are much better for the environment and are often the best choice for our health

Food

  • Reducing the amount of meat you eat. Try https://meatfreemondays.com/ for fantastic recipe ideas:  It's GREAT for your heart, your tummy, your digestion, your weight and your ability to sleep well. Send us your fave recipes! Or look at this website for some ideas: https://veganuary.com/recipes/
  • Take your own bags shopping so you do not need to buy a plastic bag from the shop. 
  • When there is a choice, try and buy produce that is not sold in a plastic bag.
  • Consider using shops that allow you to refill your own containers- we have https://buy-the-kilo.com/ in Tynemouth Metro station.

Waste

  • Watch this space for more information about recycling at the practice.
    Have you had a go at a beach clean? They’re fantastic for planet, and for meeting people -  find out more at Beach Guardian and Surfers Against Sewage.
  • If you have menstrual periods, have you ever tried plastic free menstrual products? People often find them better to us and it saves money, and waste! You can find out more at City to Sea and Mooncup.
  • Cloth nappies and reusable wipes are a brilliant option for reducing waste. Did you know the average baby will use 3796 nappies until they potty trained, which is 8 million nappies/day in the UK alone! They are cheaper, have a lower carbon footprint, create much less plastic waste and use less water despite the washing of them. You can find out more from The Nappy Lady. Also https://www.greenbythebay.com/ locally hire our kits to try out and offer advice and support. North Tyneside residents can also get a £30 voucher for this from the council by emailing recycle@northtyneside.gov.uk 
  • Love parties, hate waste? https://www.greenbythebay.com/ also hire out party kits which they will wash up for you afterwards too. Support a local small business and have a more eco party.
  • Consider plastic free options such as laundry detergent sheets rather than laundry liquid.
  • For other ways to reduce your use of plastic see the websites: City to Sea
  • Bring a refillable bottle when you are out and about- see the this page for a list of water fountain locations: https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/news/29679/council-pours-its-efforts-reducing-plastic-bottles 

Travel and activity

  • Train is easier than driving, and if you do fly regularly, cutting that down has the most fantastic carbon benefit! You can find more about national and international train travel adventures here: https://www.rome2rio.com and https://www.seat61.com/ 
  • Avoid going on cruises as this had a huge carbon footprint as well as being harmful to marine wildlife. 
  • Have you tried ParkRun? We do it! You can join in every Saturday morning at 9am in various locations around the North East for free. You can find out where here. It’s a chance to get fitter, enjoy the outdoors and meet new people – or just volunteer!

Gifts

Resources:

Inspiration: