This foundation course explores the bi-directional relationship between health and the environment, with a focus on kidney care. The climate crisis poses a threat to human health and current models of healthcare contribute to climate change and ecological destruction. Reducing the financial and environmental impact of services and improving their social value while ensuring a high standard of care is essential for making healthcare services sustainable. Using case studies, this course introduces the steps healthcare workers in nephrology can take to make their services greener and become leaders in sustainable transformation.
Upcoming course dates:
- Workshop: Wednesday 6 December [13.00-17.00 GMT]
- Self-study period opens: 8 November
- Workshop: Thursday 2 May 2024 [13.00-17.00 BST]
- Self-study period opens: 4 April 2024
If you have booked on a course click here for access.
Pricing structure: £95 - £250 + VAT
Learning Objectives
- Describe the risks the global environmental crisis presents to human health and healthcare systems.
- Describe the contribution of the health sector, particularly kidney care, to the global environmental crisis.
- Understand the basic principles of carbon literacy.
- Understand how sustainability can help to address existing challenges in the healthcare system.
- Apply the principles of sustainability to kidney care.
- Plan a project to improve the sustainability of healthcare in your workplace.
You are welcome to continue attending Cafes as many times as you wish. Upcoming dates are available here and will also be emailed out to you with your certificate of completion after the workshop.
Course Structure
The course is divided in to three parts
Part I. Self-study online – Opening 4 weeks prior to the workshop this consists of 4-6 hrs of interactive online materials, presented in bite-sized chunks, covering all course content including background, theory, and case studies, with optional links to further information. Discussion points throughout the module allow you to reflect on your learning and start to get to know fellow participants and their areas of interest and work. At the end of the module, you are invited to sketch out a plan for a sustainability project you might want to undertake, in preparation for the workshop discussions. The self-study module opens 3 weeks before, and remains available to you for 6 months after, the workshop. You can see a table of contents for the self-study materials here.
Part II. Live workshop online – based largely around small group discussion this 4-hour virtual workshop, aims to consolidate your understanding of the course materials, build networks with colleagues and help you to translate your learning into implementation of a respiratory project in your area of work.
Part III. Mentoring – on completion of parts 1 and 2 you are invited to attend our online Sustainable Healthcare Cafés. The 1 hour cafes occur regularly throughout the year and offer A friendly, informal setting in which to:
Get inspiration and support for sustainability projects from peers and CSH staff
Make connections with others interested in sustainability both across and within specialities.
You are welcome to continue attending Cafes as many times as you wish. Upcoming dates are available here and will also be emailed out to you with your certificate of completion after the workshop.
Pricing Structure
Book a course with peace of mind: We realise that healthcare workers may have to change their plans at short notice. If you are unable to attend a workshop, we can offer you a workshop at a later date for no charge. We can also offer a refund as long as you cancel before the course opens for self-study, which is 4 weeks before the workshop. There will be an admin fee of £30+VAT for refunds.
Courses are facilitated by experts drawn from the faculty below:
Dr Hayley Pinto, Education and Training Lead
Hayley was a lead consultant addiction psychiatrist with nearly 30 yrs experience in the NHS and publicly funded services. She is a medical educator, and currently senior honorary lecturer at the University of East Anglia, and has been involved in climate education, outreach, and activism for several years. Hayley also has a degree in psychology and completed general practice training before pursuing a career in psychiatry.
Nuala Hampson, Lead Facilitator for Education
Nuala Hampson is a pharmacist with a background in education, general practice and, more recently, sustainable healthcare. Nuala has worked as a clinical pharmacist in general practice for over 20 years and postgraduate pharmacy education for 15 years. Nuala is passionate about sustainability and enabling others through positive action. She is the sustainability champion at the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education, focusing on encouraging individual and organisational change, and is a member of Pharmacy Declares, a group of climate conscious pharmacy professionals based in the UK. Nuala is currently the Lead Facilitator for Education at the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.
Dr Eleanor Murray, ST7 (Renal and Gen Med), Clinical Sustainability Fellow
A kidney doctor in the west of Scotland with interests in immunology and environmental sustainability. She also holds a part-time position as a Clinical sustainability fellow focussing on achieving value-based medicine and sustainable kidney care through multi-professional quality improvement.
Dr Frances Mortimer – Medical Director
Frances led the development of CSH's principles of sustainable clinical practice and the innovative Sustainable Specialties programmes. She has a particular interest in engaging health professionals in clinical transformation and sustainable leadership.