References
Exploring the sustainable impacts of a clinical healthcare research scholarship programme
Abstract
Background:
The NHS is the first public body globally to commit to net zero.
Aim:
This study aimed to explore the environmental sustainability impact of a hospital scholarship programme.
Method:
A sustainable quality improvement value framework was used to measure the programme's environmental, social and financial effects.
Results:
The social impact through face-to-face contact was most valued by scholars; there were also savings in carbon emissions and costs.
Discussion:
Training in sustainability is essential for the workforce but little infrastructure and expertise are available within organisations to support staff to provide sustainable healthcare in day-to-day practice.
Conclusion:
Sustainable healthcare should be supported by education and national guidance and implementation plans should be drawn up to this end. The social impact of the framework used is often seen as less important than its environmental and financial components; however, as its value to scholars illustrates, the components are intertwined and should be considered of equal importance.
Healthcare is a leading contributor to global warming and environmental degeneration, (Medical Schools Council, 2022); if it were a country, healthcare would be the fifth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases globally. Health professionals have a duty of care to protect the public and, while healthcare is part of the global warming problem, clinical practitioners can be part of the solution.
In 2020, the NHS launched its For a Greener NHS campaign and became the world's first national health system to commit to meeting net zero. Two clear targets are outlined in the Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service report (NHS England, 2022):
On 1 July 2022, the NHS embedded net zero into legislation through the Health and Care Act 2022; this places a duty on commissioners and providers of NHS services to address the net-zero emissions targets specifically. Trusts and integrated care systems meet this duty through the delivery of green plans, with a board-level lead to support them. The James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's green plan was launched in 2022. This plan states that research and innovation are key to delivering net-zero ambitions; however, sustainability is a broad and debated subject that can be difficult to apply to ‘real projects’ (Buffoli et al, 2013).
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