The NHS contributes around 5% of total UK emissions and is the biggest public sector carbon emitter in the UK (Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH), 2021). There is, however, a gap in the knowledge and skills of health professionals regarding the impact of their practice on the climate crisis (CSH, 2021). In 2019, Newcastle Hospitals declared a climate emergency, which garnered national attention.
Education project
In August 2021, the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University accepted an invitation from the CSH to participate in the Sustainable Quality Improvement Education Project. This pilot project facilitated the integration of the Sustainable Quality Improvement (SusQI) framework into nursing and allied healthcare curricula. Initially, SusQI teaching was incorporated into the BSc (Hons) Nursing curriculum as part of the third-year dissertation module. Students were encouraged to watch videos highlighting the global impacts of climate change, providing both global and local contexts.
Students were tasked with completing a final project that could be either a research project proposal or a service improvement proposal, with an emphasis on considering sustainability within their plans. This delivery model was later replicated within the ‘service improvement’ component of the final dissertation module of the MSc programmes for Advanced Clinical Practice, Specialist Community Public Health Nursing and Specialist Practice in District Nursing. SusQI has also been incorporated into the Operating Department Practitioner teaching programme.
The SusQI session has since been delivered to more than 1500 healthcare students, who now work as independent health professionals across the UK, equipped with an enhanced understanding of the link between their practice and climate change.
On completion of their final-year projects, nursing students are invited to enter a competition judged by members of the regional NHS Trust, fostering a link between student innovation and the workplace. A special prize is awarded for the most sustainable project. One such project focused on the repurposing of food waste, highlighting that NHS food wastage in 2018-2019 cost £230 million, equating to 39% of the total food budget. Some 14 million kilograms of food ends up as landfill, adding to the carbon footprint and the detrimental environmental factors of transportation and manufacturing (Lemaitre, 2022).
Furthermore, the SusQI team considered ways to improve their own practice, particularly within clinical skills teaching. A new Sustainable Task Group was established within the faculty to identify ways of reducing the faculty's carbon footprint.
Challenges
The initial challenge was integrating the SusQI materials and tools into existing curricula to maximise impact on student experience and underscore the importance of SusQI on future professional practice. The model effectively allows students to understand how simple steps can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The SusQI team overcame challenges by working collaboratively as a multiprofessional faculty to secure buy-in across the university's programmes and successfully embed SusQI into curricula. Not all programmes have signed up for this initiative, but the team continues to seek opportunities for further integration. Online resources will be developed for delivery via virtual learning platforms.
In January 2023, on completion of the pilot study, the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences achieved CSH Beacon Status, making it one of only two nursing faculties to earn this status in the UK and the sole site in the North of England. This status signifies that we have fulfilled the CSH's commitment to integrating sustainability into curricula.
Addressing the climate crisis requires a concerted effort across all sectors, including healthcare. Through the integration of the SusQI framework into various healthcare curricula, the project has advanced sustainability education among healthcare professionals, enhancing their understanding of the nexus between their practice and climate change.
The project's collaborative, multiprofessional approach has been instrumental in overcoming challenges, demonstrating that collective effort is key in addressing the climate crisis.
Achievements
Achieving Beacon Status from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare underpins the significant strides made by the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University in incorporating sustainability into healthcare education. This achievement not only signifies their commitment to sustainable healthcare but also sets a valuable precedent for other institutions across the UK.
This initiative demonstrates the invaluable role of education in fostering sustainable healthcare practices, vital in reducing the healthcare sector's environmental impact and effectively addressing the climate crisis.