Taking positive action to reduce harmful carbon emissions will save lives and improve health, now and for future generations. By cutting emissions, we can reduce admissions.

Did you know…climate change has been identified by the Lancet as the biggest threat to healthcare in the 21^st century?

Within the top ten largest employers in the world , contributing almost 5% of UK carbon emissions, the NHS has a real opportunity, responsibility, and interest in tackling this threat head on.

By tackling climate change we can turn this threat into a health opportunity. An opportunity to reduce pollution, an opportunity to prevent heat related deaths, an opportunity to tackle the mental health case spikes that we witness after flooding events and an opportunity to improve health and wellbeing by addressing inequality.

As an Integrated Care System we will ensure that:

We work with the all the NHS Trusts across Suffolk and North East Essex to produce a system wide green plan that addresses key areas;

Reducing air pollution.
Tackling and reducing poverty & health inequality.
Delivering NHS long term plan (value for money, staff development, embracing digital & doing things differently).
Providing leadership through actions, partnerships, engagement and transparency.
Reducing the impact of climate change on population health.

Under new guidance from NHS England each Trust will update or provide a new green plan by Jan 2022. As an ICS we are already working with our Trusts to collaborate and develop an ICS wide green plan by Easter 2022.

Our plans will tackle many areas from improving sustainable models of care, using lower carbon intensive medicines, how we manage our buildings, how we transport patients, staff and materials to reducing waste. We’ve already started on this journey, look at our case studies to learn more about how as a system we are working to tackle climate change and support our communities

Reaching the UK’s ambitions under the Paris Climate Change Agreement could see:

over 5,700 lives saved every year from improved air quality
38,000 lives saved every year from a more physically active population
over 100,000 lives saved every year from healthier diets

What’s the current picture?

The number of heat-related deaths in the UK during heatwaves could increase to 7,000 a year
The psychological impact on victims of flooding – indeed, after the 2007 floods there was a two- to five-fold increase in mental health issues.
Flooding is more likely to affect the least well off in our society – the most deprived 10%, of the population are eight times more likely to live in the coastal floodplain than the least deprived 10% leaving them especially vulnerable.
As well as impacts of pollutants affecting the 6–9 million people living with respiratory diseases air pollution is linked to higher rates of cancer, asthma, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and dementia.

Medicines

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Working Together

Best Health and Wellbeing

Health Equality

Live Well

‘Can Do’ Health and Care

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Environmental Sustainability

Our Ambition: Health and Care in Suffolk & North East Essex is Delivered in a Way that is Environmentally Sustainable

The Story Behind the Ambition

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