The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7460 p35
14 July 2007

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Climate change presents NHS with dual challenge

Climate change presents a dual challenge for the NHS, the NHS Confederation has warned.

As the body responsible for public health, the NHS needs to invest in the prevention and treatment of illnesses likely to increase in prevalence in a warmer, more variable climate and, as one of the world’s largest employers, it needs to reduce its own carbon emissions, the NHS Confederation believes.

In a paper collating evidence from Government reports, international surveys and academic studies, the confederation concludes that it is likely that climate change will affect health in the UK in a number of ways: cases of food poisoning will increase; diarrhoeal diseases will increase with the rise in insect numbers; and elevated levels of surface ozone will increase cases of respiratory disease.

In addition, the NHS Confederation believes, incidence of skin cancer and cataracts will rise; injuries and infectious diseases will increase as a result of flooding; and respiratory disease will increase as a result of mould growing in houses. These changes will all need to be tackled, the report says.

National and international targets, as well as cost issues, will strengthen arguments for reducing energy consumption, but organisations within the NHS will, themselves, have to focus on the issue to bring about reductions, the NHS Confederation says.

For instance, staff could be encouraged to switch off unused appliances and information about reducing energy consumption could be incorporated into management training and staff inductions. The NHS could also consider the feasibility of installing combined heat and power plants for individual sites.