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A new and innovative programme from Capita Membership Services is helping NHS trusts to become greener and more efficient and supporting the NHS Forest project. The Evergreen initiative encourages public, patient and staff members to use electronic rather than paper communications - enabling hospitals to reduce costs as well as lower their environmental impact. As a thank you to those who sign up to Evergreen, the trust will plant one sapling for every 10 members who make the switch.

The NHS Forest has just registered its 100th site! Since the project began, healthcare sites including large teaching hospitals, mental health trusts and GP surgeries have been busy planting trees. There have been a great number of different activities taking place at the NHS Forest sites including the restoration of orchards with fruits being used in the local canteen, tree planting days, green classrooms for school children and routes created through the greenspace for staff, patients and the local community.

Green Nephrology in the BMJ! Commenting on a Green Nephrology study into savings from green initiatives in kidney units, National Clinical Director for Kidney Care, Dr Donal O'Donoghue, said "it’s not unreasonable to expect approaching £1 billion per year saving if the enthusiasm and focused work of the kidney community spread across the whole NHS."

The NHS Forest at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust planted 50 trees which were funded by exchanging mobile phones collected as part of climate week in 2012. Some of the trees were planted on site at the trust, the others nearby at Sandwell Valley.