Welcome to 'Green Rabbits' the monthly newsletter from the Campaign for Greener Healthcare for an update on sustainable healthcare news, events, resources and our projects. The primary source of information about the Campaign, including an archive of these newsletters, is our website at www.greenerhealthcare.org.
GREENER MENTAL HEALTH - HIGH QUALITY, LOW CARBON
A mental health summit ‘Mental Health services 2020- High quality, low carbon’ took place on 16th March 2010 at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This summit was jointly organised by the Campaign for Greener Health Care and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Participants included mental health professionals from the NHS, Department of health, Royal college members, academia and the third sector. There was widespread support for innovation and adoption of sustainable models of care into the mental health agenda. Plans for taking this forward are currently underway.
For more details click here
CANCER SPECIALISTS PLEDGE TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
Senior NHS cancer clinicians and managers have pledged to reduce carbon emissions and work towards sustainable cancer services. The pledge came in an unprecedented statement agreed at the end of a one-day national summit to explore the carbon consequences of modern cancer care. The summit was attended by the National Clinical Director for Cancer Services, Dr Mike Richards, and was organised jointly by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Campaign for Greener Healthcare.
For more details, click here.
CAN THE BHF LEAD A TRANSFORMATION TO GREENER HEART CARE?
The British Heart Foundation took a bold position hosting the first national summit on greening cardiac services, organised jointly with the Campaign for Greener Healthcare on 1 March 2010.
Professor Roger Boyle, National Clinical Director for Heart Disease and Stroke, and Dr Fiona Godlee, BMJ Editor, were among the participants at the summit, which explored the opportunities and challenges of carbon reduction for public health and cardiac care, and the role of the BHF in supporting innovation of low carbon models of care.
For more details click here
CMO REPORT: 'CLIMATE CHANGE SPELLS GLOBAL HEALTH DISASTER. ACTION NEEDS TO BE RAPID AND BOLD'
The 2009 Chief Medical Officer’s Annual report was released by the Department of health on 15th March 2010. Figures from the World Health Organisation demonstrate that climate change is already reducing millions of healthy years of life every year. This report discusses the health effects of climate change and the health co-benefits of actions dealing with climate change. It emphasises that the UK has the ability to play a major role in minimizing the impact of climate change as a global health disaster.
For more details and to download a copy of the report click here
TOOLS & RESOURCES - MAPPING GREENER HEALTHCARE
'Mapping Greener Healthcare' has entered an exciting new phase. The London NHS Travel Network has joined the online tool recently to chart their sustainable travel intiatives, raise awareness about their existence, share best practice and support the development of resources.
Mapping Greener Healthcare has been created in 2008 when the South East Public Health Advisory Group and the two Regional Directors of Public Health commissioned The Campaign for Greener Healthcare to map sustainable activity amongst NHS Trusts in the South East. At the end of the first phase nearly 50% of Trusts had entered 47 case studies. Since then a couple of Trusts have continued to populate the website, with the South East Coast Ambulance Service being the most actively involved. For more details click here.
CARBON ADDICT SERIES - SURGICAL INTERVENTIONS
Surgical treatment for carbon dependence remains very much unproven. However, the more adventurous of surgeons may wish to consider pioneering techniques such as the surgical division of patient-car connecting structures (NB: though invisible, these are often tough and elastic, and may re-grow.)
Of note, all carbon detox. surgery is best performed without anaesthetic, in view of the extreme potency of inhaled agents as greenhouse gases, and the large amount of un-recycled waste generated by anaesthetists. If absolutely essential, a local or regional nerve block is the recommended option.
www.carbonaddict.org/medical-surgical-management
GOOD MONTH FOR ...
Launch of 10:10 Lighter Later Campaign - what a difference an hour makes, read more here
Congratulations to Tamara Rayment, Joint Project Lead Green Occupational Therapy Network, on her appointment as one of the 2010 'London Leaders'. Read more here.
BAD MONTH FOR ...
Baby bottles that contain the chemical BPA (Bisphenol A) due to significant media coverage of health risks, read more here.
EVENTS
An Introduction to Climate Change and Health (one day course), 12th April, London
Sustainable Social Care Conference, 20th April, London
Walk to Work Week, 26-30th April, Everywhere
Bammbino: Carbon Efficient Healthcare (evening seminar), 28th April, London
CleanMed 2010 (international conference), 11-13th May, Baltimore USA
10:10 MONTHLY THEME - TRAVELLING
This list of resources will help you integrate sustainable travel into your organisation:
NHS Sustainable Development Unit: What does a NHS Active Travel Plan look like? Click here.
Sustrans call to action 'More Haste Less Speed' click here
EST Smarter Driver Training, click here
Car sharing eg Liftshare, click here
Spokes, the NHS Cycling Network, click here
Cycle-to-work scheme eg Cycle Scheme, click here
Alternatives to flying, try 'The Man in Seat 61', click here
JOBS
Office Administrator / Manager - The Campaign for Greener Healthcare. As the first point of contact for CGH (based in Oxford), this role will suit someone who is proactive, self-motivated and who enjoys a high element of multi-tasking, showing common-sense and initiative. CLOSING DATE 19 APRIL - full details here.
AND FINALLY - WE'RE MOVING!
The rabbits are relocating – just round the corner in Oxford to:
Campaign for Greener Healthcare
Middle Floor, South Wing
Cranbrook House
287/291 Banbury Road
Oxford
OX2 7JQ
To a better place where we can monitor our own energy use
We will not have phones working for a few days but you can email us as usual and phone numbers etc will remain the same.