This is just a short brief to let you know about the ongoing work the UK Green Nephrology group has been undertaking on tariffs for remote clinic consultations. 

Many renal units operate over wide geographical areas, providing specialist services for populations far beyond their own hospital’s immediate catchment area. Intuitively, for such a results-driven specialty, the concept of  remote clinic consultations – either by phone or video-link - ticks many boxes in the sustainability agenda whilst also carrying the potential to deliver care close to home without the associated carbon impact of staff travel...

The Green Nephrology Advisory Group recently voted on the top two projects to take forward in 2015-16. One of the two chosen was the development of a "Green Guide" for new facilities. 

Members of the Green Nephrology Network have been collaborating with the National Kidney Federation to develop an information leaflet for patients

An Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Report about wasted use of clinical resources in the NHS was launched last month and can be found here. The report states that to sustain the standards of care provided across the NHS, waste must be reduced. 

Questions about kidney transplantation and living donation?

A new national survey has opened, giving patients, their carers and the healthcare professionals looking after them an opportunity to submit questions about kidney transplantation and living donation that they think should be addressed in future research.

The British Journal of Renal Medicine has published an article on the opportunities for reducing waste in the delivery of acid for haemodialysis, authored by members of the Green Nephrology Network.

I'm writing this post to alert CSH members to this motion (#370) which is on the agenda of the British Medical Association's Annual Representatives' Meeting tomorrow morning, on climate advocacy and divestment from fossil fuel companies.  The BMA will be voting on whether or not to divest from the world's major fossil fuel companies. Myself and a couple of others have drafted this 2-page briefing document, and it would be fantastic if you could share it with anyone you know who'll be voting at the meeting. 

Should the BMA commit to divestment, this would help set a valuable precedent for other groups, building on the momentum created by the Fossil Free campaign internationally. A 'yes' vote would make the BMA the first ever national medical or nursing organ isation to divest from fossil fuels!

For those on twitter, please take a few minutes to tweet before 11am if tomorrow, using the #ARMlive hashtag and the URL for the briefing (http://tinyurl.com/divestmentbriefing). Below are some example tweets to save you time - though feel free to come up with your own of course!

• Fingers crossed that @TheBMA members will vote to #divest from fossil fuels & tackle #climate change!http://tinyurl.com/divestmentbriefing #ARMlive  
• Calling voting members @TheBMA #ARMlive, please vote for a healthier, low CO2 future! Briefing (for motion 370): http://tinyurl.com/divestmentbriefing
• #ARMlive members: agree that @TheBMA's investments shouldn't worsen #climatechange & #pollution? Please support M370! http://tinyurl.com/divestmentbriefing

The briefing document summarises the various arguments - both health-focused and financial - in favour of such a move, as well as giving some wider context (an argument made succinctly by Bill McKibben here, and in Alistair Wardrope's recent blog on the topic for Healthy Planet UK).

Please do get in touch if you're interested in starting up discussions about divestment within organisations you're involved in, such as Royal Colleges or even NHS Trusts, it would be great to hear from you.