Oxford Academic Health Sciences Network (AHSN) is leading the way nationally in prioritising sustainability as a cross-cutting theme. We are pleased to announce that The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare will work with Oxford AHSN programmes to drive, guide and assist the implementation of sustainable clinical practice.
Following the Climate Change Act (2008) the NHS is legally committed to cutting carbon by 26 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. All large organisations in the Oxford AHSN are already directly paying hundreds of thousands of pounds for carbon use and, as our research has shown [ref], there are millions of pounds to be saved by implementing sustainable systems and technologies in healthcare. Only by redesigning health services now will we be able to meet the needs of tomorrow's patients within our environmental and financial resources.
Practical carbon reduction has so far focused on innovations and modifications in energy use, travel planning and procurement. The sustainability theme will go further by using innovation to transform models of care for the future and to protect the value created against environmental risks. Sustainability has a contribution to make to all Oxford AHSN programmes and themes. In the first year we will focus directly on three clinical networks: Diabetes, Dementia and Medicines optimisation.
See http://www.oxfordahsn.org/ over the coming months for how we improve health and increase value by embedding sustainability in clinical practice.
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