Chair of the Sustainability Special Interest Group (SIG)
As Chair of BAPEN’s Sustainability Special Interest Group (SIG), Louise Davey-Hewins brings together extensive clinical expertise and a passion for collaborative working in sustainable healthcare. We caught up with Louise to learn more about her background, what has inspired her sustainability journey, and her ambitions for the Sustainability SIG in the near future.
Can you tell us about your professional background and what motivated you to join the sustainability SIG?
I have been an oncology dietitian for around 15 years, primarily in head and neck cancer. In my clinical role, I work as a Team Lead for Head and Neck Cancer Services in North West London.
I first began to combine my interests in clinical practice and sustainability in 2023, when I was offered the opportunity to become a Green Scholar with the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. Through the programme, I had the opportunity to work on a project exploring environmental sustainability within my specialism, head and neck cancer services. It was a real turning point for me, and opened my eyes to the relationship between climate change and health and the impact that healthcare has on the environment. Despite progress the NHS remain the largest public sector emitter of carbon. and produces. 157,000 tonnes of clinical waster per year. As clinicians we are well placed to identify where we can support environmentally sustainable care whilst improving health.
The Green Scholar position supported me to become a Sustainability Fellow with Greener NHS and Sussex Integrated Care Board, which further deepened my understanding of sustainable clinical practice and the opportunities for system-wide change. Today, alongside my role in North West London, I also work as a Clinical Sustainability Manager with Care Without Carbon in Sussex. These roles allow me to use my sustainability knowledge to support teams to reduce their environmental impact whilst still directly supporting patients.
What excites you most about leading the Sustainability SIG?
Supporting BAPEN’s broad and multidisciplinary professional community to take meaningful action at a time when sustainability has never been more important. The climate emergency is a healthcare emergency. We’re already seeing the impacts of extreme weather and environmental change on patients, health services and ourselves as healthcare professionals. Importantly, we have both an opportunity and responsibility to respond.
What makes BAPEN particularly exciting is our ability to influence both policy and practice. We’re in a strong position to demonstrate that actions which benefit the environment can also improve patient care, service delivery and healthcare outcomes.
I’m inspired by the people I’ve met involved in the SIG. It is a group full of passionate, knowledgeable and highly motivated professionals. Supporting and learning from the group was one of the main reasons I applied for the role, and I’m looking forward to building on the foundations already established by the group led by Ashley Bond, who I would like to say a huge thank you too. His work in leading BAPEN’s charge for sustainable practices will no doubt make the SIGs work that much more impactful going forwards
What can we expect from the Sustainability SIG over the coming year?
Looking ahead, one of our key priorities for the Sustainability SIG is to strengthen collaboration across BAPEN’s multi-disciplinary network of professionals across the UK. To create meaningful and lasting change, sustainability cannot sit within a single workstream. It must be reflected across BAPEN’s Special Interest Groups and become part of how we deliver high-quality nutritional care.
It’s essential that we’re not only highlighting best practice but supporting nutrition teams to implement sustainable approaches in everyday clinical practice. Last year, the Sustainability SIG and PENG published a survey exploring the barriers facing healthcare professionals when adopting sustainability practices in HETF and, as a next step, we will be using those findings to create tailored resources that can be incorporated into everyday use.
To support this, we’re hoping to work alongside PINNT, PENG and industry representatives to develop practical resources and tools that reduce the environmental impact of home enteral nutrition while maintaining the high standards of patient care.
