Individual level
For any individual allied health professional (AHP) who has read and wants to embody the strategy.
AHPs champion and promote diverse and inclusive leadership
Environmental sustainability – How could I hold the net zero agenda central to my system-level decision making, and is my AHP community contributing to the delivery of my Green Plan (or equivalent)?
- Here are suggestions of how AHPs can make a positive impact towards net zero.
- The ‘Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service’ report includes principles and examples of sustainable practice.
- The four principles of Sustainable Clinical Practice can be applied to AHP practice, with the first two already a core part of how many AHPs deliver care.
AHPs in the right place, at the right time, with the right skills
Environmental sustainability – Have I completed sustainable healthcare training, understood the principles of sustainable models of care, and do I support people in a way that might reduce their future care needs?
Have I completed sustainable healthcare training?
- The Greener NHS training hub brings together a variety of training and educational offers at the intersection of climate and health.
- The free to access Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare training programme from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) and Greener NHS.
- Materials for the Greener AHP Lunch and Learn session can be accessed in the Greener AHP Forum, which is part of the National AHP Virtual Hub on Future NHS.
- The Carbon Literacy Project has a variety of training courses for healthcare.
- The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) provides further courses in sustainable healthcare.
Have I understood the principles of sustainable models of care?
- Principles of sustainable models of care can be found in Greener NHS’ areas of focus.
- There is information about sustainable models of care on the Greener AHP Hub.
Do I support people in a way that might reduce their future care needs?
- Public health and prevention are areas where AHPs are well placed to lead on net zero.
- Training about preventative healthcare and climate change can be accessed for free through ‘All Our Health’:
- This climate and health focused ‘All Our Health’ guide helps health and care professionals prevent ill health and promote wellbeing as part of their everyday practice.
AHPs commit to research, innovation, and evaluation
Environmental sustainability – How could I embed sustainability into any changes I make in my service, capturing benefits and sharing these through my networks?
How could I embed sustainability into any changes I make in my service and capture benefits?
- Your organisation will have a Green Plan that you can familiarise yourself with and consider how you could contribute to its delivery.
- The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare provides resources for implementing your NHS Green Plan.
- The Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare training programme includes a free session on ‘Environmental Sustainability in Quality Improvement’ (SusQI).
- There is information about Quality Improvement on the Greener AHP Hub or find out more at susqi.org
- The Sustainable Healthcare Coalition’s care pathways carbon calculator. The calculator provides estimates of carbon values for commonly found healthcare activities such as appointments.
- If you are an AHP in primary care, you could calculate the non-clinical emissions from your GP practice using the general practice non-clinical carbon calculator.
How do I share these benefits through my networks?
- The National AHP Virtual Hub on Future NHS has a Greener AHP Forum.
- The Greener NHS Community has a member space on Future NHS.
- The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare have networks for different clinical specialities, including AHP Susnet and other AHP networks:
- You could link in with your organisational/service sustainability groups/leads.
AHPs can further harness digital technology and innovation through data
Environmental sustainability – Am I using digital technology to maximise benefit for service users and reduce the carbon footprint of care, and do I capture and share these benefits?
Am I using digital technology to maximise its benefit for service users and reduce the carbon footprint of care?
- Digital transformation is an area where AHPs are well placed to lead on net zero.
- Information about digital, low-carbon transformation can be found on page 72 of the ‘Delivering a Net Zero NHS’ report.
Do I capture and share these benefits?
- Create case studies and share them with your service, organisation or via your networks.
- Email cahpo@nhs.net with your examples of Greener AHP practice for possible case studies.