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Found 58 results
  1. Content Article
    The new Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Greener Pharmacy Toolkit is easy to use and provides prompts to introduce more sustainable practices to reduce emissions, improve patient care, prevent ill health, tackle medicines waste and achieve efficiency savings. The Greener Pharmacy Toolkit is a pioneering digital self-assessment tool designed to help community and hospital pharmacy teams take practical action to reduce the environmental impact of pharmacy services, pharmaceutical care and medicines, while supporting patient care. The toolkit outlines three levels of accreditation—bronze, silver, and gold—based on various actions that pharmacy staff can voluntarily take to make their pharmacies more sustainable. Achieving the target accreditation triggers a certificate, which can be displayed to demonstrate the pharmacy’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Commissioned by NHS England and supported by Greener NHS, the toolkit is free and open access, available for use by hospital and community pharmacy teams throughout Great Britain. The digital toolkit and accompanying guidance aligns closely with RPS’ work on sustainability which recognises the impact of climate change on health.
  2. Content Article
    Live stream recording of Day 1 of the 7th Global Summit on Patient Safety, organised by the Department of Health of the Republic of the Philippines and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). This event focuses on advancing international efforts to improve healthcare quality and safeguard patients worldwide. It brings together global leaders, experts and stakeholders to discuss and shape the future of patient safety.  Advancing Patient Safety Reporting and Learning Systems can be found at 2:46:57 Plenary 3 on AI and health can be found at 08:05:10 Related reading on the hub: 15 hub top picks for the 7th Global Ministerial Summit for Patient Safety
  3. Content Article
    The 7th Global Ministerial Summit for Patient Safety, organised by the Department of Health of the Republic of the Philippines and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), takes place on 3-4 April 2025 in Manila. This event focuses on advancing international efforts to improve healthcare quality and safeguard patients worldwide. It brings together global leaders, experts and stakeholders to discuss and shape the future of patient safety.  Global Ministerial Summits on Patient Safety aim to drive forward the global patient safety movement. Beginning in 2016, they have helped to keep patient safety high on policy makers’ agendas and helped the build the momentum needed to create the first World Health Organization (WHO) Global Patient Safety Action Plan, published in August 2021. This year’s Summit in Manilla seeks to support the implementation of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan, embracing the theme "Weaving Strengths for the Future of Patient Safety Throughout the Healthcare Continuum." The event highlights the current implementation progress, showcasing diverse approaches and strategic plans adopted by countries. The Summit will include discussions around: The role of patient engagement in bridging patient safety gaps. Diagnostic safety. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and technology for patient safety. Creating psychologically safe and healthy workplaces. Investing in patient safety for sustainable healthcare. There will be sessions across the two days looking at each of these issues, within the broader context of integrating patient safety in all aspects of healthcare delivery and at all levels of care as a foundation of resilient and sustainable healthcare systems. To support the Global Ministerial Summit, Patient Safety Learning has pulled together some key resources from the hub around these key themes being discussed at the Summit. Patient engagement 1 WHO: Patient safety rights charter The Patient safety rights charter is a key resource intended to support the implementation of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030: Towards eliminating avoidable harm in health care. The Charter aims to outline patients’ rights in the context of safety and promotes the upholding of these rights, as established by international human rights standards, for everyone, everywhere, at all times. 2 Championing the patient voice: a recent discussion with the Patient Safety Commissioner at the Patient Safety Partners Network The role of Patient Safety Commissioner for England was created by the UK Government after a recommendation from the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, chaired by Baroness Julia Cumberlege. The Patient Safety Commissioner acts as a champion for patients, leading a drive to improve the safety of medicines and medical devices. This blog provides an overview of a Patient Safety Partners Network meeting where members were joined by Professor Henrietta Hughes, Patient Safety Commissioner for England. 3 Providing patient-safe care begins with asking and listening... really listening! Dan Cohen is an international consultant in patient safety and clinical risk management, and a Trustee for Patient Safety Learning. In this blog, Dan talks about how patient-safe care is all about collaborating and listening to your patients to find out what really matters to them. He illustrates this in a case study of his own personal experience whilst working as a clinician in the USA. Diagnostic safety 4 The economics of diagnostic safety Diagnosis is complex and iterative, therefore liable to error in accurately and timely identifying underlying health problems, and communicating these to patients. Up to 15% of diagnoses are estimated to be inaccurate, delayed or wrong. Diagnostic errors negatively impact patient outcomes and increase use of healthcare resources. This Health Working Paper from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines the scope of diagnostic error and illustrates the burden of diagnostic error in commonly diagnosed conditions. It also estimates the direct costs of diagnostic error and provides policy options to improve diagnostic safety. 5 Improving diagnostic safety in surgery: A blog by Anna Paisley Good outcomes for surgical patients require accurate, timely and well-communicated diagnoses. In this blog, Anna Paisley, a Consultant Upper GI Surgeon, talks about the challenges to safe surgical diagnosis and shares some of the strategies available to mitigate these challenges and aid safer, more timely diagnosis. 6 How early diagnosis saves lives: case study on aortic dissection In this blog, The Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust explains why timely and accurate diagnosis of aortic dissection is critical for saving lives. By sharing Martin’s recovery story, they illustrate the positive impact of prompt testing and treatment. The blog highlights the need to improve patient safety relating to aortic dissection, calling for increased education and awareness among healthcare professionals; improved clinical guidelines and protocols; and heightened vigilance in recognising and responding to the symptoms of aortic dissection. Artificial intelligence (AI) and technology 7 Patient Safety and Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges for Care Delivery (IHI Lucian Leape Institute) In January 2024, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Lucian Leape Institute convened an expert panel to explore the promise and potential risks for patient safety from generative artificial intelligence (genAI). The report that followed summarises three user cases that highlight areas where genAI could significantly impact patient safety: in documentation support, clinical decision support and patient-facing chatbots. 8 AI in healthcare translation: balancing risk with opportunity In an increasingly global healthcare environment, with patients and professionals from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, precision in medical document translation is key. In this blog, Melanie Cole, Translations Coordinator at EIDO Systems International, talks about the challenges, risks and opportunities for using AI in healthcare translation. 9 Integrated human-centred AI in clinical practice: A guide for health and social care professionals This is a guide for designers, developers and users of AI in healthcare. It outlines general principles health and social care professionals should consider, a case study drawn from clinical practice and a directory of resources to find out more. It includes key questions that clinicians and AI developers need to answer together to ensure the best possible outcomes. It follows on from the CIEHF's White Paper, Human Factors in Healthcare AI, which sets out a human factors perspective on the use of AI applications in healthcare. Psychological safety 10 Speak up for Safety: A new workshop for healthcare staff about the importance of Just Culture The culture of a healthcare organisation can determine how safe its staff members feel to raise concerns about patient safety. Bella Knaapen, Surgical Support Governance & Risk Management Facilitator and Sarah Leeks, Senior Health & Wellbeing Practitioner at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, have developed ‘Speak Up For Safety’, a Just Culture training workshop that aims to help staff, at all levels, understand the importance of creating an environment that encourages people to share concerns and feedback. 11 Balancing care: The psychological impact of ensuring patient safety In this blog, Leah Bowden, a patient safety specialist, reflects on the impact her job has on her mental health and family life. She discusses why there needs to be specialised clinical supervision for staff involved in reviewing patient safety incidents and how organisations need to come together to identify ways we can support our patient safety teams. 12 Amy Edmonson: The importance of psychological safety As a leader how can you foster a work environment where people feel safe to speak up, share new ideas and work in innovative ways? In this video from the Kings Fund, Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, talks about the importance of psychological safety in health and care and what leaders can do to create it. Sustainability 13 The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh: Green Theatre Checklist Healthcare services globally have a large carbon footprint, accounting for 4-5% of total carbon emissions. Surgery is particularly carbon intensive, with a typical single operation estimated to generate between 150-170kgCO2e, equivalent to driving 450 miles in an average petrol car. The UK and Ireland surgical colleges have recognised that it is imperative for us to act collectively and urgently to address this issue. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh have collated a compendium of peer-reviewed evidence, guidelines and policies that inform the interventions included in the Intercollegiate Green Theatre Checklist. This compendium should support members of the surgical team to introduce changes in their own operating departments. 14 Communicating on climate change and health: Toolkit for health professionals Communicating the health risks of climate change and the health benefits of climate solutions is both necessary and helpful. Health professionals are well-placed to play a unique role in helping their communities understand climate change, protect themselves, and realize the health benefits of climate solutions. This toolkit from WHO aims to help health professionals effectively communicate about climate change and health. 15 Climate change: why it needs to be on every Trust's agenda The NHS has declared climate change a health emergency, but are trust leaders and healthcare staff talking and acting on this? Angela Hayes, Clinical Lead Sustainability at the Christie Foundation Trust and a hub Topic leader, discusses climate change and the impact it has on all of our lives and health. She believes healthcare professionals have a moral duty to act, to protect and improve public health, and should demand stronger action in tackling climate change. If you would like to write a blog or have a resource to share on any of the themes highlighted in this blog, please get in touch. Contact the hub team at [email protected] to discuss further.
  4. Content Article
    Hospital accreditation programmes are globally recognised as an important tool for enhancing quality and safety in healthcare; however, many programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are discontinued shortly after their establishment. This scoping review synthesized published evidence on factors influencing the establishment and sustainability of hospital accreditation programs in LMICs, to provide guidance to health stakeholders involved in these processes.  The included studies reported upon a broad range of patterns, innovations, influencers, enablers, and barriers concerning accreditation program establishment in LMICs. Key questions emerged, including the degree of government involvement, incorporation of international standards versus development of bespoke standards, the use of local versus external surveyors, the use of financial and other incentives to promote engagement, and mandatory versus voluntary approaches of program implementation. Resource constraints were recognised as the most important barriers to sustainable establishment, while the influence of global accreditation and donor agencies were viewed as presenting both positive and negative impacts. Health stakeholders are encouraged to reflect upon and apply the ACES-GLEAM framework, incorporating the guiding principles outlined in this paper, to help establish hospital accreditation programs in LMICs in a way that facilitates sustainability and effectiveness over time.
  5. Event
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    Today, it is widely recognised that human health is intimately connected to the health of the planet. But how has this understanding come about? Join historian Deborah Coen and nursing professor Teddie Potter (Center for Planetary Health and Environmental Justice) to explore the past, present and future of global climate change and planetary health. Register
  6. Content Article
    Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust discovered a significant budget shortfall and had to act fast. The financial picture would only get worse unless they reduced spending. The Trust mounted an unprecedented response in record time, rallying 800 staff to come up with solutions in a massive, coordinated improvement workshop. The results were phenomenal — saving millions of pounds with a variety of updates to staffing and scheduling practices. And the Trust proved it was up to any challenge, no matter how large. “Our people, our culture and our methods came through for us in the most impressive and inspiring ways. When you invest in those components completely, it pays off a thousandfold,” — Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive at the Trust.
  7. Content Article
    This report provides an overview of keynote speeches and panel sessions at the third annual Safety For All Conference at the Royal College of Physicians in London on Tuesday 10 December 2024 The Safety For All campaign is focused on driving improvements in and between healthcare worker safety and patient safety. It seeks to highlight how poor staff safety standards and practice impact adversely on patient safety, and vice versa. The campaign champions the need for a systematic and integrated approach to improve safety for staff and patients across health and social care. Safety For All is jointly coordinated by the Safer Healthcare and Biosafety Network and Patient Safety Learning, supported by Boston Scientific and Stryker. The event was chaired by Professor Rob Galloway, Accident and Emergency Consultant at the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust. It was attended by over 100 members of the healthcare community, including occupational health professionals, patient safety experts, frontline staff, patients and academics. The report includes summaries of the conference’s speeches by: Professor Nicola Ranger, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing Jane Murkin, Deputy Director Safety and Improvement – Nursing Directorate at NHS England. It also provides an overview of the following panel sessions across the day: Protecting lives while protecting the planet. Navigating the many faces of violence in healthcare. Caring for caregivers and patients – Mental health and safety in healthcare. Antimicrobial Resistance – Ensuring patient safety in an era of rising resistance. Implementing the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework. Throughout the speeches and panel discussions that ran across the day, there were several recurring themes: The important role of leadership in improving staff safety and patient safety. This being cited as the key to creating safer organisational cultures, modelling safety behaviours and advocating on behalf of patients and staff. The need for healthcare workers and patients to speak up in order to create a safer healthcare system, and the challenges of empowering staff to do this and organisations to create safety cultures in a system under significant strain. Communication and engagement is key – with staff and patients, and in convening people so they can collaborate for safety. Listening was mentioned throughout as being seen as a luxury, but it is essential to providing person-centred care. The challenge of sharing and spreading patient and staff safety initiatives when healthcare workers don't have time/capacity beyond trying to do the day job.
  8. Content Article
    Climate change is leading to a rise in heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases, and numerous negative impacts on patients’ physical and mental health outcomes. Concurrently, healthcare contributes about 4.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Low-value care, such as overtesting and overdiagnosis, contributes to unnecessary emissions. This review describes diagnostic excellence in the context of climate change and focus on two topics. First, climate change is affecting health, leading to the emergence of certain diseases, some of which are new, while others are increasing in prevalence and/or becoming more widespread. These conditions will require timely and accurate diagnosis by clinicians who may not be used to diagnosing them. Second, diagnostic quality issues, such as overtesting and overdiagnosis, contribute to climate change through unnecessary emissions and waste and should be targeted for interventions. The review also highlight implications for clinical practice, research, and policy. The findings call for efforts to engage healthcare professionals and policymakers in understanding the urgent implications for diagnosis in the context of climate change and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions to enhance both patient and planetary outcomes.
  9. Content Article
    This roadmap sets out the government’s ambition to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology (medtech) products towards a functioning circular system by 2045 that maximises reuse, remanufacture and recycling. Circularity in medtech means designing, procuring and processing medical products in a way that enables them to be reused, remanufactured or recycled, preserving their value for as long as possible. The benefits of a circular economy in the health sector are vast and increasingly well-understood, but are rarely put into practice and are difficult to scale. Unlocking these benefits across the UK medtech sector will bring many opportunities for innovation and growth, while improving patient care and value for money and supporting the transition to a net zero NHS. This document sets out a plan of 30 actions to deliver our 2045 vision, which will involve: driving positive behavioural change exploring new commercial incentives to provide circular medtech creating new standards to enable innovative products and services planning the decontamination and recycling infrastructure of the future establishing new collaborations to accelerate the emergence of transformative science.
  10. Content Article
    A new AHRQ resource, “Reducing Healthcare Carbon Emissions: A Primer on Measures and Actions for Healthcare Organizations to Mitigate Climate Change,” is now available to help healthcare organisations reduce their carbon footprint and protect communities from climate threats. AHRQ contracted with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to develop the primer. It describes six domains contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in healthcare: building energy; transportation; anaesthetic gas; pharmaceuticals and chemicals; medical devices and supplies; and food. The primer identifies measures to track progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in each domain. It also features vignettes of what health systems have done to reduce emissions and includes resources and tools to support implementation. 
  11. Content Article
    In this blog, Soojin Jun, Cofounder of Patients for Patient Safety US, argues that it makes sense for healthcare organisations to be at the forefront of conservation efforts, as they exist to promote people's wellbeing. She points to a 2020 study that demonstrated how the global healthcare supply chain contributes to environmental damage, counteracting what healthcare exists to promote. Going forward, people will want to know how much waste healthcare systems generate, and how efficiently they use resources, and the article looks at how organisations and patients can be proactive in promoting sustainability.
  12. Content Article
    The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare hosts and supports a number of networks to enable communities of like-minded people to collaborate internationally on sustainability in their clinical specialty or area of interest. Whether you are a patient, health professional, commissioner, educator or other, you can sign up or log in to join in discussion, find out about events and resources, ask questions and share ideas for sustainable healthcare in your field.
  13. Content Article
    Climate change poses a major threat to our health. Tackling climate change through reducing harmful carbon emissions will improve health and save lives. Here in the UK, air pollution is the single greatest environmental threat to human health, accounting for 1 in 20 deaths. Reducing emissions will mean fewer cases of asthma, cancer and heart disease. In response to the health threat posed by climate change, the NHS became the world’s first health service to commit to a target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. We know that NHS staff overwhelmingly support a greener NHS – almost nine in ten support the NHS net zero ambition. And this support is turning into action. Since 2010, the NHS has cut its carbon emissions by 30%. One year on from setting our net zero targets, the NHS is on track to reduce its emissions equivalent to powering 1.1. million homes for a year. This is thanks to NHS staff pioneering greener ways to reduce emissions across medicines, transport and healthcare buildings, as well as finding lower-carbon ways to care. Crucially, these changes are already improving patient care today, as well as the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and the public. In this video Dame Jackie Daniel, Chief Executive of Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust, shares how her organisation and others are helping to build a greener NHS – improving health now and for future generations. NHS England's ‘Healthier planet. Healthier people’ campaign, developed in collaboration with people across the NHS from a diverse range of roles, brings to life the link between our health and that of our environment. It aims to help staff discover how the NHS is becoming greener – and how staff action is already helping to improve the delivery of care for patients today, as well as improving health now and for generations to come.
  14. Content Article
    NHS England has committed to reducing its direct emissions to ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2040, with most of the reduction by 2030. There are similar initiatives underway in Wales and Scotland. The Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare (ESH) programme was developed with the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and the HEE Northeast Faculty of Sustainable Healthcare to provide the healthcare workforce with the knowledge and skills to deliver healthcare for financial, social and environmental sustainability. There are 3 sessions in the Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare programme, all presented through key concepts and case studies. Sessions 1 and 2 are suitable for all in the NHS healthcare workforce. 1. Building a Net Zero NHS An introduction to environmentally sustainable healthcare. By the end of the session, learners will be able to: describe how the climate emergency affects health. explain the relevance of the NHS Net Zero plan to their work. identify case studies that reduce waste and pollution. 2. Environmental Sustainability in Quality Improvement Integrating environmental, social and financial considerations into quality improvement. By the end of the session learners will be able to: recognise sustainability as a domain of quality. describe how sustainability adds value to each step of a QI process. identify the steps for embedding sustainability into quality improvement. identify appropriate resources for undertaking a sustainable QI project. 3. Environmental Sustainability in Dentistry Applying environmental sustainability principles and practices to the dental setting.
  15. Content Article
    This article in the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation newsletter looks at the issues surrounding the contribution of anaesthetic gasses to healthcare pollution and emissions. The authors argue that the next patient safety movement should be sustainable healthcare. They highlight that anaesthetists have the opportunity to lead in the effort to reduce healthcare’s impact on population health, and demonstrate to the wider sector that sustainable healthcare is possible and important to the wellbeing of patients. Related reading Climate change: why it needs to be on every Trust's agenda - blog by Angela Hayes, Clinical Lead Sustainability at the Christie Foundation Trust
  16. News Article
    Scotland has become the first country in the world to stop its hospitals using the anaesthetic desflurane because of the threat it poses to the environment. NHS data suggests the gas, used to keep people unconscious during surgery, has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide. Banning it in Scotland - from its peak use in 2017 - would cut emissions equal to powering 1,700 homes a year. In the last few years, more than 40 hospital trusts in England and a number of hospitals in Wales have stopped using it. Dr Kenneth Barker, anaesthetist and clinical lead for Scotland's national green theatres programme, said he was shocked to find the anaesthetic drug he had used for more than a decade for many major and routine operations was so harmful to the environment. "I realised in 2017 that the amount of desflurane we used in a typical day's work as an anaesthetist resulted in emissions equivalent to me driving 670 miles that day," he said. "I decided to stop using it straight away and many fellow anaesthetists have got on board. "When you are faced with something as obvious as this and with the significance it has to the environment - I am very glad we have got to this stage." Read full story Source: BBC News, 3 March 2023
  17. News Article
    The number of overheating incidents in clinical areas reported by NHS trusts has almost doubled over the last five years, with directors saying ageing estates make them vulnerable to extreme weather events. Providers reported that temperatures went above 26°C – the threshold for a risk assessment – more than 5,500 times in 2021-22, according to official data. Overheating looks set to become an increasingly significant issue for NHS estates, HSJ was told, as climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and more intense. Janet Smith, head of sustainability at Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall Healthcare Trusts, said: “We’re feeling it now. And it’s not going to change unless we do something about it. We need a climate resilient estate to actually deliver sustainable care.” An overheating incident is when the temperature surpasses 26°C in an occupied ward or clinical space in a day, with each area counting as a separate incident. When this happens, trusts should carry out a risk assessment and take action to ensure the safety of vulnerable patients. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 16 February 2023
  18. News Article
    Around half of the largest trusts are not buying all their electricity from renewable sources despite a national requirement to do so, as prices of this type of energy rocket. NHS England previously committed to the service purchasing only renewable energy from April 2021, as part of efforts to meet its target to be net zero for emissions it can control–including electricity–by 2040. However, NHSE information seen by HSJ shows that nine of the largest 20 trusts have not been buying 100 per cent renewable electricity this financial year, amid soaring costs. Several trusts told HSJ they had abandoned previous decisions to only use electricity which was “guaranteed” to be renewable. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 15 February 2023
  19. Content Article
    In this episode of the NICE talks podcast, Consultant Respiratory Physician Dr Hitasha Rupani, Medicines Consultant Clinical Adviser at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Jonathan Underhill and asthma patient Sheba Joseph discuss NICE’s recently published patient decision aid on asthma inhalers and climate change. The tool supports people with asthma to consider whether they might be able to use inhalers which have a smaller carbon footprint as part of their treatment plan. View the NICE patient decision aid on asthma inhalers and climate change
  20. Content Article
    This case study describes the project that won the 'Future-proofing Healthcare 2022' category in the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership's (HQIP's) Clinical Audit Heroes Awards. The Sustainable Respiratory Care Audit team at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was recognised for its work improving care for individual patients while also reducing the environmental impacts of healthcare. Their nomination detailed how the project provided a structure for the audit of patients’ techniques, preferences and knowledge about inhalers, and the need for a clinical review—interventions that can reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare while improving the quality of care.
  21. Content Article
    Inhalers are a key treatment for respiratory conditions, with approximately 60 million dispensed in England every year. However, inhalers are not always used in an optimal way, which can lead to poor disease control and avoidable deaths. Inhaler emissions account for approximately 3% of the NHS carbon footprint. The propellant used in metered dose inhalers is responsible for most of these emissions. Alternative options with a significantly lower carbon footprint exist, such as dry powder inhalers. The UK has a higher metered dose inhalers prescribing rate compared with other European countries. These countries have demonstrated that safe and effective care can still be delivered using other inhaler devices. Wyre Forest Health Partnership (WFHP) was formed from a merger of five GP practices and now comprises of six sites across Worcestershire with over 50 doctors, 200+ staff, and more than 73,000 patients. WFHP identified that, in line with the UK, they too had high prescribing rates for metered dose inhalers, and decided to act – to improve the health of their respiratory patients, while reducing their environmental impact. This case study shows what they did.
  22. Content Article
    Published annually, the 'Lancet Countdown on health and climate change' is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration, dedicated to monitoring the evolving health profile of climate change, and providing an independent assessment of the delivery of commitments made by governments worldwide under the Paris Agreement.  This year’s Lancet Countdown report, 2022 on Health and Climate Change (a collaboration of over 120 leading experts from UN countries and academic institutions) warns that ‘the health of people around the world is at the mercy of a persistent fossil fuel addiction’. The report makes it “clearer than ever that we are at a critical point” says Rachel Stancliffe, Director of The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, and that “if we continue as we are, including subsidising fossil fuels, we will be locked into a devastating future for the children of today”. The report states how alarming things have become – with a 68% increase in heat-related deaths amongst the most vulnerable population groups (infants and those over 65years) in the last four years. It claims that governments and companies continue to prioritise the fossil fuels above, and to the detriment of peoples’ health, jeopardising a liveable future. The Lancet Countdown report’s key message is that we face a critical juncture and states that a health-centred, aligned response to the crisis, can deliver a future where people can not only survive, but thrive. We owe it to future generations to heed this and act now!
  23. Content Article
    We should be! The NHS has declared climate change a health emergency, but are trust leaders and healthcare staff talking and acting on this? In her second blog for the hub, Angela Hayes, Clinical Lead Sustainability at the Christie Foundation Trust, discusses why as healthcare professionals we have a duty to care, to protect and promote public health, and why nurses are ideally placed to deliver this vital climate emergency health message. The impact of climate change on public health is extensive (see diagram from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare below) and has been declared an ‘emergency’. The climate crisis threatens to undo the gains we made to public health over the last 50 years and threatens the lives of millions. It impacts on the most vulnerable members of society – those who contribute to global warming the least and who are least resilient to its effects. Avoidable deaths are happening now – we’ve seen the devastation caused by the recent floods in Pakistan, and the ongoing famine in Somalia means thousands face starvation. Both these are directly attributable to global warming. The climate emergency is literally on our doorstep and we have to act now – not in the future. We have to act in response to an emergency. As healthcare professionals we have a duty to care, to protect and promote public health. Our nursing unions agree and, as the most trusted profession for the 20th consecutive year, nurses are ideally placed to deliver this vital climate emergency health message. Working in a greener way should be an integral part of every nurse’s role – not just a job for some bloke in the Estates Team who’s changing a few old light bulbs and installing recycling bins! Sustainable ways of working clinically comes in many forms – from prescribing to reduce unnecessary pharmacological waste, to general dietary health advice to our patients (cutting down on meat and dairy is the most effective way an individual can reduce their own carbon footprint – by up to 70% and is great for the pocket and the waistline). Metered dose inhalers have a terrible carbon footprint, as do some anaesthetic gases. In my department, we’re exploring the use of a light-source treatment for cancer patients having chemo and radiotherapy – which maintains the mucosal lining and prevents the need for complex pain management, prolonged feeding regimes and, ultimately, hospital admissions. Living and working greener is just generally better all round – for our health and that of our planet. And if by looking after our planet our own health improves, then it’s win-win! What can you identify in your clinical practice to reduce waste and cost and help meet the Net Zero targets? Because it’s only by working together, that we’ve a chance of meeting them! We would love to hear what you and your trust are doing about sustainability and climate change. Is this something you've discussed at work? Share your good practice and ideas in the comment field below. Further blogs from Angela Climate change: why it needs to be on every Trust's agenda
  24. Content Article
    Identifying a route to net zero emissions for a complex system as large as the NHS is particularly challenging. To understand how and when the NHS can reach net zero we established an NHS Net Zero Expert Panel, reviewed nearly 600 pieces of evidence submitted to us and conducted extensive analysis and modelling. The targets set are as ambitious as possible, while remaining realistic; and are supported by immediate action and a commitment to continuous monitoring, evaluation and innovation. The aim is to be the world’s first net zero national health service. Two targets have been set For the emissions we control directly (the NHS Carbon Footprint), we will reach net zero by 2040, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2028 to 2032; For the emissions we can influence (our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus), we will reach net zero by 2045, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2036 to 2039. The report sets out the considerable advances that the NHS has already made in improving our carbon footprint and reducing the environmental impact of our services. It provides a detailed account of the NHS’ modelling and analytics underpinning the latest NHS carbon footprint, trajectories to net zero and the interventions required to achieve that ambition. It lays out the direction, scale and pace of change. It describes an iterative and adaptive approach, which will periodically review progress and aims to increase the level of ambition over time.
  25. Content Article
    Surgical site infections (SSIs) can have a significant impact on patients, their families and healthcare providers. With shortening inpatient periods, the post-discharge element of surveillance is becoming increasingly important. Proactive surveillance, including digital wound images using patient smartphones, may be an efficient alternative to traditional methods for collecting post-discharge surveillance (PDS). The aim of this study was to determine success in patient enrolment and engagement including reasons for non-response, the time for clinicians to respond to patients, SSI rates, and carbon emissions when conducting PDS using patient smartphones. An evaluation was undertaken for a one-month period (June 2022) in two adult cardiac surgery services which routinely used patient smartphones for PDS, using the secure Islacare (Isla) system. The initial patient response rate for Isla was 87.3%, and the majority of patients (73%) remained engaged throughout the 30-day period. There was no significant difference in age, gender, operation type or distance to hospital between Isla responders or non-responders, or if the hospital provided a photo at discharge or not. Patients using Isla had a shorter post-discharge stay (P = 0.03), although this was not attributed to the platform. Patients not owning a smartphone and a technical issue were the main barriers to participation. Overall, nine SSIs were recorded, eight through the Isla surveillance and one through a hospital transfer readmission. The carbon emission associated with the SSI ranged from 5 to 2615 kg CO2e. The authors concluded that in a real-world setting, using patient smartphones is an effective method to collect PDS, including wound images.
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