Children's Nutrition Team wins award for sustainability project
Published on 04/11/2026
A collaborative project led by children's dietetic and nutrition nursing teams across Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) has received national recognition after winning a Clinical Nutrition (CN) Award.
The CN Awards celebrate excellence and achievement across clinical, medical and health nutrition, recognising individuals, teams and organisations that make a significant contribution to the profession. The BSOL project focused on reducing plastic use within paediatric enteral feeding and demonstrated how partnership working can deliver benefits for both patients and the environment.
The initiative brought together children's dietetic and nutrition nursing teams from community, secondary and tertiary care settings, alongside invaluable support from Solihull Children's Community Team, who were the first service to begin implementing the changes across all participating Trusts. The project required system-wide leadership, behaviour change and sustained engagement across multiple organisations to safely transform long-established practices.
BSOL supports around 650 children receiving enteral nutrition, including approximately 300 feeds administered daily in special schools.
Over two years, the project achieved impressive results, eliminating 158,400 Flocare containers (used to hold feed and water for patients receiving nutrition through a feeding tube), reducing plastic waste by 353kg and preventing 2.7 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Families and schools have responded positively, highlighting reduced storage needs and less plastic waste to manage at home.
Commenting on the recent award Lorna Hull, Paediatric Dietitian said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received this Sustainability Initiative award at the CN awards. This achievement reflects the power of collaboration, with three NHS trusts working together to make meaningful changes that reduce plastic waste from enteral feeding, across acute and community sectors for Birmingham and Solihull's diverse population.
“By sharing ideas, challenging traditional practice, and focusing on sustainable solutions, we've shown that small changes can make a significant environmental impact while continuing to deliver high-quality patient care.”
