The Principles of Sustainable Healthcare
The CSH Principles of Sustainable Healthcare are a set of guiding principles that can help healthcare practitioners participate in innovation, adoption, and embedding of low carbon practices in their healthcare setting.
The Principles of Sustainable Healthcare were developed by CSH’s Dr Frances Mortimer as guiding principles to improve healthcare design and delivery. The principles, published in 2010, are based on delivering better care for less resource and this core concept has been used across the healthcare sector as a foundation for practical and sustainable change to practice.
What is sustainable healthcare?
Sustainable healthcare meets the needs of our populations, without damaging the health or ability to meet the healthcare needs of vulnerable people now or in the future.
Our health depends on natural systems, which provide a stable environment, air, water, food and other ingredients essential to life. The global climate and nature crisis is a health crisis, and healthcare is part of the problem. To be sustainable, healthcare systems must not only look after their workforce and spend wisely; they must stop harming nature and keep within environmental limits.
We can work towards sustainable healthcare by improving Sustainable Value: maximising positive health outcomes and reducing inequity, while minimising negative environmental, social and financial impacts.
What are the CSH Principles of Sustainable Healthcare?
The CSH Principles of Sustainable Healthcare are used to guide improvements to healthcare design, delivery and best practice. These are:
1. Prevention
Promoting health and preventing disease by tackling the causes and inequalities of healthcare.
2. Patient empowerment and self care
Empowering patients to take a greater role in managing their own health and healthcare
3. Lean service delivery
Streamlining care systems to minimise wasteful activities
4. Low carbon alternatives
Prioritising treatments and technologies with lower environmental impacts,
How can health professionals and organisations use the Principles of Sustainable Healthcare?
CSH Principles have shaped and directed thinking in sustainable healthcare, broadening the initial scope from simple buildings, estates and energy use, and highlighting the synergy between improving sustainability and other aspects of care.
As well as being used by CSH as part of the SusQI approach, these principles have influenced frameworks including Care Without Carbon’s ‘Green Impact’, the Greener NHS Framework and others.