Nature and Healthcare

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This free online module, developed in partnership between the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, Healthcare Ocean and RSK, explores the complex relationship between nature, human health and the healthcare sector and what we can do to support nature to thrive. This is an online-only on-demand course.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course you will be able to:

1. Describe how human health and the healthcare sector are dependent on the health of nature, and the main reasons nature is in decline.
2. Discuss how unequal access to the health benefits of nature and unequal exposure to the impacts of nature degradation are widening health inequalities.
3. Define the term nature footprint.
4. Explain why healthcare should take a leading role in helping nature to recover.
5. Describe the nature footprint of the healthcare sector and some practical steps we can take to reduce it.
6. Design efforts to help nature to thrive using a 3-part framework including:
   • Reducing our nature footprint
   • Restoring nature
   • Rebuilding the relationship between nature and people

Course contributors

Our thanks go to the following people who have contributed to the development and updating of this module:

• Dr Georgie Sowman MBBS MRCGP: General Practitioner NE England , Sport England  Physical Activity Clinical Champion with Sheffield Hallam University , Co-founder of Healthcare Ocean

• Dr Pamela Buchanan  
• Dr Kevin Barker 
• Professor Lora Fleming 
• Dr Richard Hixson 
• Dom Higgins  
• Alexis Percival 
• Dr Sharon Pfleger  
• Dr Kelly Thornber 
• Esther Smith 
• Lewis Arnold  
• Dr Gavin Wilson