NHS Estates

Ecological footprint of the NHS in England and Wales

The National Health Service (NHS) is one of the world’s largest employers, and its size and function necessitate intensive resource use. BFF’s Material Health study investigates the mass balance and ecological footprint of the NHS in England and Wales - the first time a measure of this kind had been attempted. The objective of the study was to influence future environmental policy while supporting the NHS’s primary purpose of improving the health of the nation. The Material Health report has been broadly received as an insightful and sophisticated analysis of a highly complex organisation.