MODERN healthcare practices continue to evolve to meet the needs of patients. However, they are not always achieving today's environmental expectations.
A recent study by Lancet Planetary Health showed that the environmental footprint of global healthcare amounts to between 1-5% of total global impacts, and more than 5% for some national impacts.
This represents a challenge of course, but also an opportunity for our nation's healthcare innovators to be inspired to build back stronger for a better, more sustainable world while rebooting the Scottish economy.
Covid has been a significant turning point – a watershed moment that allowed faster healthcare innovation and adoption. It showed that, when developed correctly, great ideas could quickly become reality. It shone a spotlight on the incredible value and importance of hard-working NHS Scotland staff who are being encouraged to see themselves as innovators and the enablers of vital change.
NHS Scotland has reacted positively to the climate challenge by announcing a new target of moving to a net zero health service by 2040, bringing forward by five years the previous aim of 2045 opted for by other regions in the UK.
Plans involve working to modernise the estate, including all-new buildings and major refurbishments designed to produce net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, as well as re-thinking its clinical practices ahead of the proposed new target.
InnoScot Health has been working in partnership with NHS Scotland for more than 20 years, harnessing the talent, entrepreneurism, and commitment of staff to support improvements in patient care while also stimulating economic wealth.
An example of NHS Scotland's innovative drive to benefit the environment is St John's Hospital in Livingston, the first hospital in Scotland to use a new machine which makes delivering babies eco-friendly.
Nitrous oxide was commonly used during childbirth by NHS Lothian with 72% of people in labour making use of it at some stage. Mixed with oxygen, it was inhaled during a contraction, providing rapid and effective pain relief during labour. Unfortunately, this came at the cost of carbon emissions. The gas also created potential risks to workers who could be exposed to low levels of it over long hours on a day-to-day basis. By turning this gas into nitrogen and oxygen, the impact to the environment and the risk to others was removed.
The challenge now is to pull together across five priority areas: buildings and land, travel, goods and services, care, and communities.
More resilient and sustainable healthcare facilities that use climate-considerate construction practices, have lower dependence on fossil fuels, and deliver healthier accessible internal and external environments must be built.
There also needs to be an increase in localised health care services to not only build stronger links with communities but also make it easier for patients to walk, cycle or access public transport to appointments.
A greener health service that responds to environmental risks and meaningfully changes the way it operates is a better health service.
We do not have long to make an impact; there are looming targets in the next decade already set as part of the net zero initiative. This delivery is crucial to ensure we halt negative impacts on our environment and help develop a more progressive healthcare system for a better and more sustainable future.
Graham Watson is the Executive Chair of InnoScot Health
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