North West Hospital and Health Service (NWHHS) dietitian Gina Teixeira has showcased an innovative local presentation on reducing hospital waste at the National Allied Health Conference in Adelaide.
Presenting to an audience of allied health professionals from across Australia and New Zealand, Ms Teixeira shared findings from her project on Oral Nutrition Supplement (ONS) wastage at Mount Isa Hospital. The project examined both the financial and environmental costs of unused supplements, an area never previously studied locally.
“Wastage can occur in two ways – products that expire before reaching patients, and those that are only partly consumed once given,” Ms Teixeira explained. “At Mount Isa Hospital, most waste was from expired stock, largely due to short-dated inventory.”
Overall, the project found that 9% of ready-to-drink Oral Nutrition Supplement were wasted to landfill, with an average of 36% of each bottle discarded. Ms Teixeira now plans to work with the broader dietetics team to create waste mitigation strategies that align with Mount Isa Hospital’s environmental sustainability goals, while also increasing patient consumption of Oral Nutrition Supplement to improve nutritional adequacy.
The project required close collaboration with nursing and kitchen teams to capture accurate data, with nurses asked to place unused supplements in designated containers for measurement.
Ms Teixeira said the work is important for both clinical practice and sustainability goals.
“This project has the potential to improve how supplements are prescribed and managed – for example, by considering patient preferences, adjusting prescribing practices, or sourcing products with longer shelf lives. That means less waste, better patient outcomes, and cost savings for the health service,” she said.
Her presentation included a poster session at the national conference, where fellow clinicians engaged with the project and discussed its practical implications.
“It was a great experience to present our work on a national stage. I hope it sparks more conversations about how allied health can contribute to sustainability in healthcare,” Ms Teixeira said.
NWHHS Executive Director Allied Health, Lynette Stenhouse, congratulated Ms Texiera on representing the region.
“Gina’s work shows how innovative thinking in a regional hospital can influence broader practice. It highlights the strong role allied health professionals play in improving patient care, reducing costs, and supporting sustainability,” Ms Stenhouse said.