SUSTAINABILITY
A combination of impacts On the flip side, we know that the volume of materials we are consuming and discarding has gone up dramatically, with a combination of impacts. From March to September our waste numbers remained consistent with previous years, yet we know we cut all bar essential services, raising the issue: if we are not delivering the services, how much has waste per patient increased? As we bought services back on line, those waste figures that had been consistent have now increased, compounded by the second wave of COVID as the government tries to balance the economy with lockdowns. We have blown through millions of disposable facemasks, many of which we know have been discarded or lost as litter, and are now becoming as damaging as the straws and stirrers which we saw banned earlier in 2020. We know we need to protect each other, but we also need to find ways to do this that are viable for some time to come. This pandemic is not going away any time soon, and as the impacts of climate change come home to roost, we are likely to see ever more diseases and viruses emerge and disrupt our way of life, if we do not adapt and learn to live with them.
What next?
Coming into a New Year, we are updating our plans, taking into account the lessons learned from this year. Moving forward we know these plans need to be flexible, while not getting away from the fundamental crises we are all facing, and finding new and innovative ways to deliver change at pace. The past year has shown us that we can; now we just need to do so.
Heidi Barnard
Heidi Barnard gained an MA (Hons) in Economic Science at the University of Aberdeen in, and Associateship of the Institute of Environmental Management (IEMA) at the University of Bath in June 2008. She is also a Practitioner at the IEMA and a member of the Public Sector Sustainability Association (PSSA). Her earlier career saw her work as a market analyst at British Gypsum, followed by a subsequent 13-year spell at the company’s Plasterboard Recycling Service, in roles including Development leader and supply chain analyst, Environmental advisor, Sustainability leader, and head of Environment.
She joined Northern Care Alliance NHS Group in August 2019 as Group head of Sustainability, where she develops and leads on sustainability strategy, including direct impacts such as energy, carbon, and waste, as well as addressing impact through procurement, and engaging with staff and patients in healthcare services in the North West. Her career has seen her develop Resource Action Plans with DEFRA, implement companywide ISO systems, sit on and chair various sustainability-focused groups within trade bodies, and, she says, ‘most importantly’, manage, develop, coach, and mentor, teams to deliver their on their own aspirations. She adds: “In my current role I help the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group to understand its environmental footprint, implementing systems to manage operational requirements, while developing policy and strategy to deliver on the broader NHS ‘Net Zero’ agenda.”
References 1 Salas RN, Shultz JM, Solomon CG. The Climate Crisis and COVID-19 – A Major Threat to the Pandemic Response. N Engl J Med 2020; 383 (110): e70. 10 September 2020.
2 Belesova K, Heymann DL, Haines A. Integrating climate action for health into COVID-19 recovery plans. BMJ 2020; 370: m3169. 20 September 2020.
hej 3 On 1 April 2016 Greater Manchester’s
health and social was devolved from central. This is overseen by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, which is made up of the city region’s NHS organisations and councils, plus representatives from primary care, NHS England, the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, Healthwatch, Greater Manchester Police, and the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
January 2021 Health Estate Journal 53
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