With more than 15,000 hospitals, the healthcare sector represents over 7% of European GDP - with this great purchasing power, healthcare procurers can use their influence in medical device market to move towards safer, more sustainable products.

While they play an essential role in healthcare delivery, medical devices may contain hazardous substances that pose risks to patient health and staff safety through their use and disposal. Phasing out medical devices with harmful substances and replacing them with safer alternatives should be a key component of sustainable procurement strategies within healthcare facilities. Sustainable procurement strategies within healthcare facilities should seek to phase out medical devices with harmful substances and to replace them with safer alternatives.

Sustainable procurement in healthcare not only creates environmental and financial benefits for the procuring organisation, but can also contribute to greater patient and employee safety and well-being. 

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe’s publication, Guidelines for the procurement of safer medical devices, gives an overview of the European regulatory framework surrounding procurement of medical devices and provides a step-by-step guide to carrying out sustainable procurement initiatives in healthcare settings.

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