Stephanie Ireland is a Cardiothoracic ICU Nurse in Kent and Medway, and was a Chief Sustainability Officer Clinical Fellow in 2024/25
The evidence is now undeniable: the link between planetary health and human health is inextricable. The World Health Organisation identifies climate change as the single biggest threat to human health, and the UK government estimates that 28,000-32,000 people die prematurely each year from air pollution alone.1,2
These aren’t just statistics – they represent lives lost to preventable conditions. For those of us working in healthcare, the urgency of this crisis couldn’t be clearer.
The NHS is responsible for roughly 4% of the UK’s carbon emissions.3 While that might seem modest, it places healthcare in a position of both responsibility and opportunity. We are not only contributors to environmental harm but also powerful agents for positive change.
…the toolkit fostered better patient outcomes, improved team morale, enhanced community engagement, and led to cost savings.
Over the past year, I took part in a sustainability fellowship, with my main project centred on implementing the Green Impact for Health (GIFH) Toolkit – a practical resource designed to help general practices become greener.4 What I found was more than just reduced emissions; the toolkit fostered better patient outcomes, improved team morale, enhanced community engagement, and led to cost savings.
A Practical Application for Change
Launched in 2014 and supported by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK), the GIFH Toolkit is tailored for everyday primary care. It turns complex sustainability goals into manageable actions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.4
Practices using the toolkit can implement low-carbon prescribing (e.g. switching to dry powder inhalers), reduce single-use plastics, encourage active transport, and even educate patients on environmental health links. These actions not only cut emissions but improve public health.
While sustainability might initially seem like a ‘nice to have’ amid a struggling system, many green initiatives actually improve practice efficiency. Reducing waste, for example, often results in better workflow and lower operational costs. This kind of alignment makes climate action not just viable, but beneficial.
From Concept to Commitment
Through practice visits, mentoring, and workshops, I explored what drives successful implementation. Not every practice adopts the toolkit the same way, but I found a common thread for those that succeed: clear and committed leadership, collaboration between clinicians and non-clinicians, and open communication that facilitated meaning discussions.
Practices with a clear sustainability lead (also known as a ‘green champion’) tended to progress further. Equally important was a sense of shared ownership – when everyone from reception to general practitioners were engaged, change felt more achievable. Showcasing local success stories proved highly effective in motivating other practices to act, demonstrating that peer influence can be more powerful than policy alone. However, top-down leadership remains essential to sustain momentum and scale impact. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) must actively support and empower early adopters to mentor their peers, helping to drive system-wide progress through collaboration and example.
Embedding Change Without Overwhelming
Change doesn’t require a whole system overhaul. Starting small is both practical and effective. Changes such as reducing paper use, upgrading to energy-efficient lighting, and considering greener prescribing are often already being taken, but without recognition of their wider environmental value.
Engaging the whole team and celebrating milestones builds momentum. Tools like the Carbon Literacy Project or training via e-Learning for Healthcare can increase confidence and understanding.5 Additionally, community engagement, through initiatives like cycling schemes or social prescribing linked to nature, can amplify benefits (NASP, 2024).
Measuring What Matters Sustainability work can easily be dismissed if it isn’t seen to produce tangible results.
Sustainability work can easily be dismissed if it isn’t seen to produce tangible results. But data doesn’t need to be a burden. Practices can track simple metrics such as the number of actions taken, changes in prescribing habits, energy use, or in patient feedback. Impact stories are especially compelling: one practice reduced costs by thousands through improved insulation, while another reduced acute respiratory exacerbations by optimising inhaler use and prescriptions. This kind of data is powerful and shares the learning for what works, motivating others.
This is healthcare
Greening general practice is not a side project. It is central to our mission to protect health now and for future generations. The GIFH Toolkit is a powerful resource and can be used to help with shifts in mindset, systems, and leadership.
We must not wait for national mandates or extra funding. The resources exist. The benefits are clear. What remains is the will to act. Because greener general practice isn’t just about the planet. It’s about cleaner air, healthier patients, lower costs, and a stronger NHS.
References
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health [Accessed 16/8/2025]
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution [Accessed 16/8/2025]
- https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/a-net-zero-nhs/ [Accessed 16/8/2025]
- https://toolkit.sos-uk.org/greenimpact/giforhealth/login [Accessed 16/8/2025]
- https://carbonliteracy.com/healthcare/ [Accessed 16/8/2025]
- https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/what-is-social-prescribing/green-social-prescribing/ [Accessed 16/8/2025]
Featured Photo by micheile dot com on Unsplash
