Health and social care professional standards need to be updated to advance leadership and action for environmental sustainability and planetary health.

Education health system professionalism regulation sustainability

Journal

BMJ leader
ISSN: 2398-631X
Titre abrégé: BMJ Lead
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101757339

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
17 Jan 2024
Historique:
received: 01 08 2023
accepted: 19 12 2023
medline: 18 1 2024
pubmed: 18 1 2024
entrez: 17 1 2024
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Human health is inextricably linked to planetary health. The desire to nurture and protect both concurrently requires the mitigation of healthcare-associated environmental harms and global initiatives that support sustainable lifestyles. Health leadership is important to bring adequate attention and action to address planetary health challenges. Health professionals are central to this endeavour, but the will and energy of a few will not be adequate to address this urgent challenge. We present an appraisal of the current UK health professional standards, frameworks and curricula to identify content related to planetary health and environmental sustainability. No current UK health professional standard provides statements and competencies to guide practising and trainee health professionals to focus on and advance the sustainability agenda within their clinical practice and across wider healthcare systems. Update of health professional standards is needed to ensure that health professionals in every specialty are supported and encouraged to lead the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices within the health sector and advocate for planetary health.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Human health is inextricably linked to planetary health. The desire to nurture and protect both concurrently requires the mitigation of healthcare-associated environmental harms and global initiatives that support sustainable lifestyles. Health leadership is important to bring adequate attention and action to address planetary health challenges. Health professionals are central to this endeavour, but the will and energy of a few will not be adequate to address this urgent challenge.
STUDY METHODS
We present an appraisal of the current UK health professional standards, frameworks and curricula to identify content related to planetary health and environmental sustainability.
RESULTS RESULTS
No current UK health professional standard provides statements and competencies to guide practising and trainee health professionals to focus on and advance the sustainability agenda within their clinical practice and across wider healthcare systems.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
Update of health professional standards is needed to ensure that health professionals in every specialty are supported and encouraged to lead the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices within the health sector and advocate for planetary health.

Identifiants

pubmed: 38233120
pii: leader-2023-000889
doi: 10.1136/leader-2023-000889
pii:
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Informations de copyright

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Competing interests: SW and EPB are associates of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. BW is an employee of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. SW is a Trustee of the Healthcare Infection Society.

Auteurs

Sarah Walpole (S)

Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK sarah.walpole1@nhs.net.
Centre for Clinical Infection, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK.

Aneka Popat (A)

General Medical Council, London, UK.
Occupational Health, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.

Emma Pascale Blakey (EP)

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.

Eleanor Holden (E)

Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Office of the Chief Scientific Officer, NHS England, London, UK.
Medical Physics, The Harley Street Clinic, HCA, London, UK.

Ben Whittaker (B)

Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, Oxford, UK.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK.

Ravijyot Saggu (R)

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.

Amarantha Fennell-Wells (A)

Office of the Chief Dental Officer England, London, UK.

Kirsten Armit (K)

Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, London, UK.

Daljit Hothi (D)

Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, London, UK.
Nephrology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Classifications MeSH