They are the same! The competition used to run under the name Green Ward exclusively in Hospitals. We have opened the competition to a range of healthcare delivery organisations and service, opting for the name Green Teams to show inclusivity to all staff.

Most competitions are run within one organisation such as an NHS Trust or Health board. However, we can run competition at a local, regional, national, or international level. For example, we are currently running a competition across an Integrated Care Board – details and case studies will be shared in November 2023!

Some organisations may commission separate competitions and join together for a larger event – like Swansea Bay University and Hywel Dda Health Boards in Wales.

The Green Team Competition can also be adapted into specialty challenges – like our 2021 Green Surgery Challenge.

No! You can run a SusQI project within your workplace without the competition - and we encourage you to! You may already be involved in QI projects that will bring benefits across the triple bottom line. For guidance on identifying resources to target, goal-setting, planning and measurement - please see our Step-by-Step guide.

You can ask questions and share updates about projects and work you're involved in via our Networks and share reports of your projects outcomes and learning in our Resource Library. 

Competitions need to be commissioned by a hosting organisation, such as an NHS Trust or Health board, and you can only apply to competitions held within your own organisation.

If you would like to encourage your organisation to consider a Competition, please read the advice here. If your organisation runs a competition, it will be promoted organisation-wide, so you won’t miss it!

If your organisation is hosting a Green Team Competition and you are a non-clinical staff member (e.g. you work in a non-clinical department such as catering, housekeeping, etc or you are a department lead with a non-clinical background) you are still welcome to apply. However, some organisations may prefer clinical team involvement, and if this is the case it will be stated during the application process.