NHS Highland and the University of the Highlands and Islands (Environmental Research Institute), with the One Health Breakthrough Partnership, won a Scottish Knowledge Exchange Award in the “Making an Environmental Difference” category! The 7th annual virtual ceremony was organised by Interface, and celebrated “game changing innovation”, with 8 categories and 24 total finalists representing companies, universities, and NGOs across Scotland.
The group applied with the pilot study work at Caithness General Hospital to investigate pharmaceutical pollution in hospital wastewater and improve water use at the site. Through this work, Caithness General Hospital was awarded the internationally-recognised Alliance for Water Stewardship accreditation – a world first for a hospital.
You can read more about the outputs behind this award and the Caithness General Hospital pilot study below:
- Research Publication: Niemi, L., Taggart, M., Boyd, K., Zhang, Z., Gaffney, P. P. J., Pfleger, S., & Gibb, S. (2020). Assessing hospital impact on pharmaceutical levels in a rural ‘source-to-sink’ water system. Science of The Total Environment, 737, 139618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139618
NHS Highland and ERI-UHI are continuing partnership work with the One Health Breakthrough Partnership to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare practices, address pharmaceutical pollution in the environment, and promote responsible water use in Scotland.
The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards
The awards, organised annually by Interface, mark the biggest celebration of businesses and academic knowledge exchange in Scotland, showcasing the achievements of collaborative partnerships and individuals alike.
Click here to read about the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, and the full list of winners for 2022.