The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has played a key role in updating the Green Theatre Checklist, a sustainability initiative designed to help surgical teams minimise their environmental impact.
The Green Theatre Checklist was established in 2022 by the Surgical Royal Colleges of England, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ireland as part of their commitment to act collectively and urgently to address the threat of the climate and ecological crisis. The checklist includes pointers for healthcare workers in surgical departments, such as using local anaesthetic where possible, or switching to reusable equipment when it is safe to do so.
Three years on from its initial launch, the checklist has been updated with a range of new guidance and has secured the backing of The Association of Anaesthetists, The Association of Perioperative Practice and the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
RCSI said anecdotal feedback from surgeons and anaesthetists who had implemented the new ways of working into their practice had helped to inform the changes and the recommendations now went further, including the decommissioning of centralised nitrous oxide and greater use of reusable equipment.
