PLEASE respond - and encourage all your colleagues to respond - to the NHS Sustainable Development Unit's consultation on the draft NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy.  It really is very important that as many people as possible signal their support to carbon reduction in the NHS, to give a clear message to policy-makers.  The deadline for response has been extended to September.

 

Attached please find some suggestions for a response, by Jenny and Lindsey Stewart at the Faculty of Public Health, which may be of assistance. 

 

 

Mala Rao, former Head of Public Health Workforce Development at the Department of Health, and now Director of the Indian Institute of Public Health, sent the following powerful message to Jenny reflecting her first impressions:  "The health secretary has promised to introduce me to key doctor groups to mobilize climate change action.  Cannot underestimate frustration with western inaction, however.  No rains in Andhra (and vast areas of India) this year, no water in the dams, no power, drastic electricity cuts daily.  We are facing 4 hour power cuts daily (outside temp in mid 30s!).  I have bought a power generator to keep classes going when the first diploma course gets off the ground on 6 Aug.  I find I have become as anxious as the locals - constantly storing water in my apartment in case water supply cut for a few hours!  I wish you and I could arrange for climate change sceptics to see this for themselves."

 

 

An organisational member of our network, the Scottish Healthy Environment Network, have published a Position Paper on Environment and Health.  This is an example of an outcome of the network which brings together key constituents in the Health and Environment communities to work on cross-cutting priorities.  The paper can be accessed at http://www.healthscotland.com/resources/networks/healthy-environment/HEN-reports.aspx

 

The Healthy Environment Network includes organisations and professional groups within Scotland who have the ability to influence the environment to improve health.  Members of the network include the statutory, regulatory, voluntary, health and academic sectors.  The network encourages a holistic and systems approach to environmental  issues and the identification of synergies of action to address health and well-being with those to address climate change and sustainable development.  The network has also recently held a workshop on children's health, transport and the environment, which can be accessed on the same URL. 

 

 

The European Health and Environment Alliance have published a brochure on 'Public health and climate change', which stresses the role of health professionals and local health authorities in addressing the public health impacts of climate change and our high carbon lifestyles.  HEAL says that those in the health care sector represent an influential group well placed to exert pressure on governments and health care establishments to implement ambitions greenhouse gas emission cuts.  URL: http://www.env-health.org/IMG/pdf/Public_health_climate_change_brochure_final_.pdf   The brochure makes mention of the Faculty of Public Health's guide, Sustaining a Healthy Future: Taking action on climate change.   

 

Do send us your items for the September newsletter!

 

Best wishes