What we do

Since 2008 the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare has engaged healthcare professionals, patients and the wider community to understand the connections between health and environment and reduce healthcare’s resource footprint. 

Our work is guided by the principles of sustainable clinical practice: 

1. Prevention
2. Patient empowerment and self care
3. Lean systems
4. Low carbon alternatives

Our programmes equip healthcare professionals and organisations with methods and metrics for sustainable models of care:

• Sustainable Specialties Programme
• Carbon Footprinting and Triple Bottom Line Analysis
• Education and Training
• Sustainability in Quality Improvement
• The Green Team Competition
• Green Space for Health
• Sustainable Healthcare Peer Networks

Sign up for updates on our programmes, projects and activities 

Sustainable Specialties

The Sustainable Specialties Scholars and Fellows Programme assists clinicians in each specialty to develop research skills, leadership, and engagement with patients, clincial bodies and industry to ensure change at local and national levels. Learn more

Carbon Footprinting and Triple Bottom Line Analysis

We produce carbon footprint analyses of the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions of organisations, products and services, as well as triple bottom line analyses which take into account social, financial, and environmental impacts.  Learn more

Education and Training

We offer training in sustainable healthcare and planetary health for health professionals in educational institutions, professional bodies and healthcare organisations through: 

• Short courses in sustainability, health and healthcare
• Sustainability in Quality Improvement education
• Elective students, SSCs and volunteers
• Free e-learning modules

Learn more

Sustainability in Quality Improvement

The SusQI framework offers a holistic approach to improving healthcare by assessing quality and value through the lens of a “triple bottom line”. To support health professionals and organisations to incorporate this approach, CSH offers short courses in Sustainability in Quality Improvement and open access SusQI resources. Learn more

The Green Team Competition

This award-winning leadership and engagement programme transforms healthcare by cutting carbon, improving patient care and staff experience and saving money. It can be run with individual healthcare organisations or at a local, regional, national or international scale, or it can be adapted for specific clinical specialties.  Learn more

Green Space for Health

CSH addressed the interface between green space and health in ground-level projects and national-level strategy, policy and research. The NHS Forest is a national campaign to improve the quality and use of green space at healthcare sites for patients, staff and the wider community. Learn more

Peer Networks

Over two thousand health professionals belong to our sustainable healthcare networks, asking for and offering advice and resources in their clinical specialty or area of interest. Learn more

Connecting Q Locally

The Health Foundation awarded funding to CSH to run a series of 4 virtual events addressing ‘hot topics’ in sustainable healthcare. 

• Remote consultations and their role in sustainable healthcare - view the learning resources
• Green Social Prescribing for sustainable healthcare - view the learning resources
• Embedding sustainability into healthcare education; lessons learned from practice
• Embedding sustainability into QI training and practice within NHS Trusts; barriers and strategies