Health Management and Policy Alert

Green surgery: reducing the environmental impact of surgical care

UK Health Alliance on Climate Change -
In the UK, surgical care is responsible for the equivalent of about 5.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year – equivalent to that from heat, electricity, transport and waste of 700,000 UK homes. Reducing the emissions produced during surgery would be a significant step towards the NHS achieving its aim to be net zero by 2045. This report presents an account of how to reduce the environmental impact of surgical care while maintaining high quality patient care and potentially saving the NHS money. It highlights a number of successful initiatives that have already been implemented.

• Report
• UK Health Alliance on Climate Change - press release

NHS Net Zero Building Standard

NHS England - 

The NHS Net Zero Building Standard provides technical guidance to support the development of sustainable, resilient, and energy efficient buildings that meet the needs of patients now and in the future. The Standard will apply to all investments in new buildings and upgrades to existing facilities that are subject to HM Treasury business case approval process and are at pre-strategic outline business case approval stage from 1 October 2023 onwards.

• Standard
• More detail

A healthy future: tackling climate change mitigation and human health together

The Academy of Medical Sciences -
This report claims that measures to tackle climate change could significantly benefit human health in the next few years, as well as in the long-term. It brings together eleven leading experts to review evidence from a range of sources around the health impacts of initiatives to tackle climate change. It concludes that if health is made central to the climate agenda, then actions taken to reach UK net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will have near-term benefits for human health, in the UK, as well as helping to reduce the risks to health from global climate change.

• Report
• The Academy of Medical Sciences - press release

Good for you, good for us, good for everybody: a plan to reduce overprescribing to make patient care better and safer, support the NHS, and reduce carbon emissions

Department of Health and Social Care -
This report contains the findings and recommendations of the national overprescribing review led by Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England. The review sets out a series of practical and cultural changes to ensure patients are receiving the most appropriate treatment for their needs while ensuring clinicians’ time is well spent and taxpayer money is spent wisely. This includes better use of technology, how to review prescriptions more effectively, and how to offer alternatives to medicines where they would be more effective.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - press release

Research for Parliament 2021

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) - 
This publication presents a horizon scan of 30 areas of change to help the UK Parliament prepare for the future. Amongst the wide range of issues explored are mental health and wellbeing in the context of Covid-19, health inequalities and the use of digital technologies in the delivery of health care.

• Reports

How transport offers a route to better health

Health Foundation - 
This long read examines the challenges of shifting towards a transport system that better supports health. It sets out how transport affects health, the difficulties in moving towards greater use of public transport and the effects of Covid-19 on travel patterns.

• Long read

This report comes with a health warning

The Climate Coalition -
This report finds that the health of more than 12 million people is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as heatwaves and floods. It studies the benefits of a net zero economy and active travel on health and the role of the NHS and health professionals in reaching this target.

• Report

Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This paper reviews the evidence for practical interventions to reduce harm from outdoor air pollution, stratified by their health and economic impact. The focus of the review was on those actions available to local authorities and, where appropriate, the national actions needed to support them. The paper is accompanied by a guide to help local authorities to use the evidence to choose or plan interventions to tackle air pollution.

• Report
• More detail

Climate change and sustainability: the health service and net zero

British Medical Association - 

This report states that with the NHS contributing up to five per cent of the UK’s total carbon emissions, increased sustainability and changes to working practices are vital if the health of future generations is to be protected. The health service has a responsibility to its patients to reduce its own carbon footprint and to strive for net zero emissions, if it is to take a leading role in combatting the harmful effects of climate change.

• Report
• Press release