The changes are set to save over 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) every year following the decommissioning of its nitrous oxide (N2O) manifold. Since February 2024, the Banbury hospital has used a portable supply of N2O in small cylinders which are wheeled into theatres when required, helping Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) reduce its carbon footprint. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Banbury Guardian, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Despite being part of healthcare delivery, N2O is a harmful greenhouse gas. The gas, used by anaesthetists for sedation and pain relief among other things, was previously distributed via a manifold, a system that delivers N2O to the pipelines around the hospital. Audits across UK hospitals found this wasteful.
Instead, it is now delivered to patients on an individual basis and now much smaller amounts of the gas are kept on site. An OUH-wide audit suggested the Horton was only using approximately 5% of the N2O ordered and that 95% could be saved. The 587 tonnes CO2e saving is estimated to be the equivalent of approximately 261,586 return train journeys between Banbury and Oxford per year, 345 tonnes of plastic (1kg plastic = 1.
7kg CO2e) or leaving a low-energy light bulb on for 39,133 years. Advertisement Advertisement It is also expected to save approximately £8,000 annually from 2025 onwards. Speaking on the Sustainability Day of Acti.
