'Gas and air' at Cornwall's main hospital has gone green.

As the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust moves closer to its commitment to be carbon neutral net zero by 2030, its gastroenterology team has become the first in the UK to implement new technology within endoscopy.

The aim is to tackle environmentally damaging emissions from nitrous oxide, also known by its common brand name Entonox, the gas commonly used for pain relief.

To do this the team has brought in a Mobile Destruction Unit or MDU, made by Swedish-based Medclair partnered with BPR, which provides gas therapy products.

It works by separating and neutralising greenhouse gases, and while the MDU has been used in four maternity units in the UK this is the first time it has been used during endoscopy procedures.

Roz Davies, general manager for sustainability at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, said: "Our patients won’t experience any difference in their care, it’s simply the processing of the exhaled gas that is different, as the state of the art technology renders the gases harmless.

"The MDU not only tackles the effects of climate change but improves safety for our staff by further reducing the risk of breathing in escaped nitrous oxide."

The first patients to use the MDU in endoscopy are from the bowel cancer screening programme – a precautionary screening programme which identifies the early stages of cancer and has been estimated to prevent up to 60% of bowel cancer.

Dr John Beckly, consultant gastroenterologist, said: "It seemed only fitting the screening programme, a first of its kind when it launched, was matched by another trailblazing solution – this time not only keeping our patients safe, but also protecting our environment, and ultimately the health of our population.”

Jonas Lundh, chief executive of Medclair, agreed: “The significance of the bowel cancer screening programme is hard to overstate. That we can now demonstrate a method ensuring minimal environmental impact with no discomfort to patients is a real success.

"We feel this a major advance in green use of nitrous oxide, and we are delighted to support the healthcare system in the UK with our key mission: providing sustainable solutions wherever N2O is used.”