The Care Pathways Knowledge Hub
The care pathways knowledge hub integrates environmental sustainability into healthcare assessments, addressing a gap in current clinical practice. It provides a standardised framework for evaluating the environment impact of patient care pathways, an area often overlooked.
This initiative is important as it establishes a consistent methodology for appraising sustainability across various healthcare services. By doing so, it aims to create a robust evidence base that can be routinely used in evaluating care pathways.
Healthcare professionals can utilise the hub by accessing the webpage and accompanying guidance documentation, which offer clear steps for applying the framework. As more services adopt this approach, it will enhance the integration of sustainability considerations into healthcare delivery.
The Climate Crisis is a Health Crisis
Climate change is the most significant threat to human health, as identified by the World Health Organization. This crisis has the potential to disrupt healthcare delivery and affect individuals throughout their lives, particularly impacting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities, further exacerbating health inequalities.
If the global healthcare sector were a country, it would rank as the 5th largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The NHS alone accounts for 4% of the UK’s total emissions. Recognising the climate crisis as a health emergency, the health sector has a dual responsibility and opportunity to respond, enhancing public health and equity. To address this, the NHS has set ambitious net zero targets: achieving net zero for directly controlled emissions by 2040 and for emissions influenced by the NHS by 2045.
To address this crisis, healthcare delivery must undergo transformational change, adopting a holistic approach that ensures high-quality care while minimising environmental impact. This involves mapping the patient care pathway to identify and address carbon hotspots in areas such as energy consumption, supply chain management, and travel.
Our work so far
Since 2015, the Coalition, in collaboration with Environmental Resources Management (ERM) and Greener NHS, has provided guidance on evaluating the environmental sustainability of patient care pathways. This guidance helps identify carbon hotspots and supports the redesign of care pathways to reduce emissions.
Dr. Rose Ingleton led a review and update of carbon factors and developed additional resources as part of the National Chief Sustainability Officer’s Clinical Fellow Scheme.
In the next section of the hub, we have outlined the step-by-step process on how to appraise the environmental sustainability of patient care pathways. This has been derived and adapted from the full guidance document which covers the process in more detail.
For further information on the full guidance document, click here