§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the National Health Service of clinical waste disposal. [151318]
§ Mr. DenhamFrom year end figures for 1999–2000 we are able to identify that the total annual cost to the National Health Service in England for clinical waste disposal was £29.2 million.
To help the NHS reduce the cost and environmental impact of incinerating clinical waste, we issued Health Technical Memorandum 2065 "Healthcare in waste management—segregation of waste streams in clinical areas" (1997). This document advocates a change of focus from simply disposing to managing waste throughout the production process.