Respiratory care has some of the biggest problems (inhalers) and many good solutions for sustainable healthcare.

Nominations are open for the first Greener AHP Award

This year's Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) Awards has the category of Greener AHP Award for the first time.

New postgraduate module - Sustainable Healthcare Principles

The University of Brighton

Leeds Green Ward Competition anticipates an annual reduction of 8,594.8 kgCO2e

Yesterday CSH hosted the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Green Ward Competition showcase and awards ceremony.

Toolkit to support paediatricians approaching their local councils about air pollution

An excellent resource produced by RCPCH climate change working group- focused on action in the UK but could be useful for others too.

RCPCH climate change working group

May, 2022

Cutting unnecessary glove use: New guidance issued on glove use and selection

Clear guidance on glove use and selection is included in the new NHS 'National infection prevention and control manual for England'

Glove Awareness Week resources: 2 May to 6 May 2022

Glove Awareness Week runs from the 2nd to 6th May this year and focuses on encouraging nursing staff - and medical and health care professionals - to make one change to reduce their unnecessary glove use and help make health care more sustainable. RCN resources available.

How to sign up, post and search on CSH Networks

Take a look at our handy one page guide that shows you:

how to sign up to the CSH Networks
how to create posts, resources and events
3 easy ways to seach for content

April, 2022

SHARE conference - 6 May 2022 - Sustainable Healthcare Academic Research and Enterprise

SHARE conference - Sustainable Healthcare Academic Research and Enterprise

New Asthma Toolkit for GPs on Greener Practice website

Greener Practice have launced an asthma toolkit designed to help GP practices improve outcomes for patients with asthma whilst also reducing carbon

£7.45m funding available for two new research units

The Health Foundation’s REAL Centre has launched an ambitious new programme that will provide independent research that builds on the work of the REAL Centre, to help improve long-term decision making in health and social care. There may be good opportunities to propose research through the lens of sustainability.

NHS providers & the Government’s Social Value Model

From 1st April, all NHS providers are required to adopt the Government’s Social Value Model (Procurement Policy Note 06/20) and include a minimum of 10% weighting on net zero and social value into tenders.

March, 2022

Help shape CSH Networks & win a CSH course!

We are offering one free foundation level course run by CSH as a thanks for completing the CSH networks questionnaire by Sunday 3rd April. Open to network members and non-members, your responses will help us develop the networks and ensure that they best meet your needs.

Integrating planetary health into clinical guidelines - Lancet Planetary Health

In this review of 49 clinical guidelines from British, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, Australian, European, German, and US-American medical associations, the authors found keywords related to planetary health (eg, climate change, air pollution, and emissions) were found in fewer than 5%.

March, 2022

International Womens day

Happy International Womens Day!

This is an interveiw I did for the Royal College of Psychiatry about women and climate change. I hope you find it interesting.

The breathe green project- low carbon inhaler clinical champion scheme & resources; https://www.breathegreenproject.com

We are launching a green respiratory care and inhaler clinical champion scheme to improve awareness of the potential to reduce the NHS carbon footp

Inhaler switching on Radio 4!

This week's "Inside Health" on BBC Radio 4 devoted half the programme to the climate impact of MDI inhalers, and the potental benefits (envrinoment

Pharmacy inhaler disposal resources

Resources for pharmacists and patients on environmentally-safe disposal of inhalers.

Background:

Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC)

August, 2021

First steps to SusQI - A simple Sustainability Audit

What do we want you to do?

Inhalers information + training PrescQIPP

This bulletin provides useful information to guide inhaler prescribing

PrescQIPP also holds webinars and training

November, 2021

Greener Practice Guide to Inhaler Prescribing

Greener Practice, with review and endorsement by the NHS England and NHS Improvement Inhaler Working Group, Asthma UK, and the British Lung Foundation, have produced this comprehensive and excellent guide,

Greener Practice

November, 2021

Greener Practice Guide to Inhaler Prescribing

Greener Practice

November, 2021

Remote Consultations: Do they reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Your Guide to calculating the Answer

This guide and carbon calculator have been developed by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare in collaboration with PD Transformation and funded through Q by the Health Foundation and NHS England and NHS Improvement.

September, 2021

New GP contract incentivises lower carbon inhalers

The new GP contract published last week includes a new incentive to encourage lower carbon inhalers.

Green Inhaler website

This patient- and clinician-facing website gives guidance on choosing inhalers with lower environmental impact - something which is now included in the BTS asthma guidelines.

Dr Alex Wilkinson

September, 2019

New BTS asthma guidelines encourage use of low-GWP inhalers

Section 8.6 of the new BTS/SIGN Guideline for the management of asthma highlights the environmental impact of metered dose inhalers (pMDI) and recommends that inhalers with low global-warming potential (GWP) should be used when likely to be equally effective.

British Thoracic Society

July, 2019

Asthma UK inhaler videos

Are you confident in teaching patients how to use their inhalers? The first step in improving environmental sustainability of inhaler use is to ensure that people use the correct technique to get the drug to where it is needed.

Asthma UK

July, 2019

NICE encourages use of greener asthma inhalers

"People with asthma will be helped to choose the inhaler that is best for them, and best for the environment, by a new patient decision aid from NI

Sustainability in QI - the time has come!

Health systems are in constant need of improvement - and in some cases total redesign.

Sustainability in Quality Improvement learning resources

Sustainability has been recognised as a domain of quality in healthcare, and building it into quality improvement (QI) is a practical way to drive incremental change towards a more ethical, sustainable health system.

Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

March, 2017

Reducing the carbon footprint of hospital-based care

Nephrologist, Charlie Tomson, gives an overview of the challenge of reducing carbon in the NHS and potential solutions - from energy and waste reduction to Sustainable Care Pathways.

Tomson, C., Future Hospital Journal

February, 2015

Browse this Networks's Resources in the Resource Library

New BTS asthma guidelines encourage use of low-GWP inhalers

British Thoracic Society

July, 2019

Asthma UK inhaler videos

Asthma UK

July, 2019

Patient and Environmentally friendly spacer for Metered Dose Inhalers

Asthma summary

Asthma is very common. Almost 10% of people living in the European Union have a diagnosis of asthma. Among children, asthma is the most common chronic medical condition.

April, 2019

NICE patient decision aid for asthma inhalers

This is an information tool to help people with asthma and their healthcare professionals discuss their options for inhaler devices.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)

April, 2019

UN report addresses propellant gases in inhalers

A report has just been presented to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in respect of the Montreal Prot

United Nations Environment Programme

January, 2019

Alternative to pMDI? Reduced environmental impact of a reusable soft mist inhaler

Hänsel M, Bambach T, Wachtel H M32 Reduced environmental impact of a reusable soft mist inhaler. Thorax 2018; 73:A262.

Abstract

Hansel M et al. Thorax

December, 2018

Moving beyond the air quality crisis

Realising the health benefits of acting on air pollution

This report on air pollution describes the current problem, the reasons it exists and the critical need to resolve it, and includes high level recommendations on the measures required to act on it.

UK Health Alliance on Climate Change

October, 2018

Natural resources footprint for NHS and social care

This is the most recent carbon/natural resources footprint of health and social care in England, based on 2017 data. Of note, the greenhouse gas emissions from metered dose inhalers are estimated at 0.85 Mt CO2e, which is around 3.2% of total emissions for the sector.

Sustainable Development Unit, NHS England & Public Health England

September, 2018

Sustainable inhaler prescribing driver diagram

This example driver diagram shows how principles of sustainable clinical practice can be applied to improve respiratory inhaler prescribing. Hopefully it shows a holistic approach (MDI>DPI is not the whole story...).

Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

March, 2017

RCP video on NHS environmental impact

Short animation to raise awareness of the NHS contribution to environmental issues such as climate change and air pollution, and encourage health professionals to look for environmentally friendly ways to practise.

Royal College of Physicians

September, 2018

Sustainable Spirometry?

Hi all,

Sustainable Healthcare Reading List

Hi all, I work in the sustainability team for my Trust and I'm collaborating with our libraries to curate a sustainable healthcare reading list for

GREEN-ICU study seeking volunteers for survey and online interviews

The GREEN-ICU research study is seeking views o

Gloucester Hospitals Respiratory Care Guidelines

Dear All,

This maybe useful to those interested in producing local guidelines on environmentally friendly inhaler use.

Sustainable Paediatric Respiratory Care

Free podcast on sustainable paediatric respiratory care with Paediatric Trainees Kirsten Dykes and Rosie Spooner.

New Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare elearning programme

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare has partnered with Health Education England elearning for healthcare (HEE elfh)(link is external) to develop elearning resources designed to equip healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills they need to deliver healthcare that is financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable.