Junior doctor Meeral hailed for her 'true passion' in helping to improve sustainability
A junior doctor based at Royal Derby Hospital has been hailed for her pioneering eco-conscious work that has helped UHDB along its journey to becoming a more sustainable organisation.
During her GP rotation, Meeral Mashood approached the Sustainability and Clinical Audit teams to express an interest in undertaking a Quality Improvement (QI) project to make some sustainability changes at the practice she was working in.
This involved replacing tea and coffee in the practice with fairtrade goods and replacing dairy products with non-dairy alternatives, based on research Meeral had undertaken which highlights the environmental impact of not using fairtrade products, as well as the socio-economic impact of this on developing countries that typically produce these goods.
For this hard work and commitment to improving sustainable practices in her area of work and across UHDB, Meeral has been awarded an Excellent Employee Making a Difference Award - presented to her by our Executive Chief People Officer, Amanda Rawlings.
Speaking after receiving her award on a day where she also discovered she was accepted for her first-choice speciality as part of her ongoing training, Meeral said:
"I have had so much good news today that it almost doesn't feel real! I was not expecting all of this when I woke up this morning. To think I was only in 'med school' 18 months ago, and now I'm here doing what I love, and receiving awards for it in the process, really feels amazing.
"This is not something I anticipated or expected. I have always had an interest in fairtrade and sustainability, and while researching this QI project I saw that replacing all tea and coffee with fairtrade products helps those who produce them to find their way out of poverty, gives them better access to healthcare and education, and overall just improves their quality of life."
Meeral's work closely aligns with UHDB's key organisational priority to increase our sustainability, and this is something she wants to continue to instil in her colleagues and the wider Trust, improving both public health and that of the planet.
She also urged everyone to think about the small things they can do on an individual level to help have an impact on the environment:
"Things like this might seem a small step but if we all do our bit, we can make a huge impact. Anyone can make a change and we can all be guilty of getting caught up in our own little bubble sometimes, but if you're taking in the bigger picture, we may not even see some of the positive impact this has in our lifetime. But our grandchildren, and their grandchildren, are going to affected by our actions.
"This planet is the only home we have, and we have to look after it."
Natalie Roddis, Environment and Sustainability Officer at UHDB, nominated Meeral for the award and was delighted to see her hard work recognised. Natalie shares Meeral's views about individual environmental action and encouraged colleagues to consider making changes for the good of planet, and of our patients:
"Meeral has shown those who work with her how reducing the environmental impact of healthcare can be an integral part of clinical practice, no matter the scale.
"Not only this, her true passion for excellence in sustainability and QI will undoubtedly inspire those around her - both staff and patients. She really deserves this recognition."
Amanda Rawlings spoke of her delight in giving Meeral this well-deserved recognition, and seeing how colleagues across our organisation are working hard to improve our sustainability. She said:
"Presenting our colleagues with awards is one of the highlights of my job - and to be able to congratulate Meeral for two achievements in one day feels very special indeed.
"What she has done is exactly the sort of approach that we all hope to see across our organisation at all levels. Sustainability is one of our key priorities as an organisation, and it's wonderful to see members of our UHDB family taking whatever steps they can to contribute to this goal.
"It's been a pleasure to meet Meeral present her with this award. Her hard work, ingenuity and keen interest in improving her environment is an inspiration to all who want to use the tools they have at their disposal to change things for the better, and really make a difference."
