Blog: Sustainable respiratory practice: Aligning to the net zero agenda.
Blog: Sustainable respiratory practice: Aligning to the net zero agenda.
What do we mean by sustainability in healthcare?
Sustainability refers to the continuation maintenance of activities that contribute a sustainable future, which activity reduces the impact of people in the earth. To deliver sustainable futures requires consideration of our current personal practices in terms of the products and fuels we buy, use, and throw away.
This also applies to our clinical practice, how we work, where we work how we manage people how use our respiratory services and treatments.
What is the NHS already doing about it?
NHS England has drafted a route to achieving net zero, however they acknowledge that achieving net zero carbon emissions for a large and complex system such as the NHS will be challenging (Improvement, 2020). NHS England report 2020 report suggests direct interventions and indirect approaches to achieving their 2014 net zero goal. Direct approaches include the built environment, travel, and supply, and also medicines use and prescribing practices.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/publication/delivering-a-net-zero-national-health-service/
How does our clinical practice as respiratory nurses’ impact on the net Zero agenda?
Unfortunately meter dose inhalers (MDIs) represent 3.5% of the NHS’s greenhouse gas emissions, it is estimated that about 70% of inhalers (35 million) dispended in the UK are MDIs and just under 30% are DPIs (15 million) (Improvement, 2020). MDI’s have been identified as a carbon hotspot in the NHS (Davis, 2018), and the UK is falling behind on its use of DPI’s in comparison to Europe (Davis, 2018).
What steps can we take to address the carbon footprint each consultation?
As respiratory nurses we are often the people who suggest treatment changes, based on the clinical required medication, but also the user of the inhalers ability to take the medication. Therefore, we need to consider the device and mode in inhaled therapies we are suggesting.
Right person, right drug, right dose, right time, right device.
Building environmental considerations into consultations may take time but considering our impact on future generations is important.
If this blog interests, you please contact: Dr Lindsay Welch lw13e14@soton.ac.uk, she will be more than happy to discuss this issue.
DAVIS, N. C., I. CHUDASAM, A. TUFEKI, B. MADDALENA, J. MARSH,H. SLATER, D. FOSTER, N. (COMMITTEE STAFF) 2018. UK Progress on reducing F-gas Emissions. In: COMMITTEE, E. A. (ed.). House of Commons: House of Commons.
IMPROVEMENT, N. E. A. N. 2020. Delivering a ‘net zero’ National Health Service [Online]. UK Available: https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2020/10/delivering-a-net-zero-national-health-service.pdf [Accessed 21/04/2021 2021].