Our world is changing and this impacts how we live our lives and share the planet.
Climate change poses a major threat to our health as well as our planet. The environment is changing, that change is accelerating, and this has direct and immediate consequences for our patients, the public and the health and care sector. We must respond to the health emergency that climate change brings and embed this into everything we do now and in the future.
Net Zero Clinical Care is a brand new one-day hybrid conference that took place on 10 October 2023 at BMA House, London. It focussed on reducing the carbon impact of clinical services across all levels of the UK health and care system, and the role that every healthcare professional can play in delivering a net zero health service.
Brought to you by BMJ and UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC)
Why Net Zero Clinical Care Hybrid Conference?
While identifying a pathway to net zero emissions for a large and complex system such as the NHS is an immensely challenging task, clinicians can be part of the innovation, adoption, and embedding of low carbon practices which prioritise high quality patient care.
You can inspire sustainable practice in colleagues, communities and healthcare management.
This new hybrid conference offers you the opportunity to make that impact.
BMJ Innovations Collection
Read a special collection of selected abstracts from this year’s conference in our journal BMJ Innovations. The perfect way to learn from your colleagues and to be inspired.
Posters
Take a look at this year’s projects in a valuable opportunity to learn from colleagues who exhibited and presented their work.
All our poster displays are presented digitally via our ePoster platform.
How can I make a difference?
Climate change is a health emergency.
Contributing around 4% of England’s emissions, the NHS is both a part of the problem and the solution. It must tackle climate change at source if it is to deliver on its core purpose: to improve health and care, now and for future generations.
Across the NHS there is overwhelming support for more sustainable healthcare. Nine in ten staff support the NHS’s net zero ambition and individuals, teams and organisations are already taking action. Including creating their own renewable energy, reducing waste, using sustainable transport, better prescribing and transitioning to lower carbon clinical practices – such as switching to lower carbon anaesthetic gases.
These videos show just a fraction of the initiatives that are already making a difference, and the staff that are committed to delivering a net zero NHS for the benefits of our patients, staff and communities.
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The BMJ's annual climate issue
The BMJ has just published its third annual climate issue. It focuses on community power and cross sectoral collaboration. Please feel free to share the issue with colleagues and to respond to the articles online.
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BMJ Innovations Net Zero Clinical Care Abstract Collection
BMJ’s journal focused on new ideas in health, BMJ Innovations, has published a small selection of abstracts from the conference focused on those ideas that can reduce the impact of healthcare on the environment.