How to improve Ireland’s health system: Recognise its staff as advocates for climate action

Debbi Stanistreet

(Associate Professor of Public Health, School of Population Health, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and member of Irish Doctors for the Environment)

The one small change that I would like to see in the Irish healthcare system is for healthcare professionals to be formally recognised as advocates for climate action.

I understand that doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals would require training to be able to fulfill this role, but given that healthcare systems cause as much as five per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is an important issue to address.

I know that the HSE is already taking action through its Green Healthcare Programme to reduce waste, increase recycling and promote energy-efficient practices, but we now need to significantly ramp up this work and extend it into all areas of clinical practice from illness prevention through to anaesthetics and surgery.

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For healthcare professionals, this could include ordering medical equipment which is made sustainably avoiding single-use products where possible, prescribing more sustainable medicines such as dry powder inhalers for asthmatics and promoting active travel for staff.

Healthcare professionals could offer healthcare advice that would both benefit the patients and the climate agenda. For example, patients who have chronic lung or heart disease could be advised not to use open fires and stoves for heating their homes. This measure would reduce the use of peat and wood while also ensuring the air in their homes will not exacerbate their medical condition. The introduction of remote monitoring of patients and virtual clinics where feasible are also steps in the right direction.

The HSE could also promote active transport for staff. Some excellent models of good practice are beginning to emerge within our healthcare system such as the bike-to-work project at St James’s Hospital in Dublin. More hospitals need to follow these examples so that healthcare professionals could become champions of climate action while also improving their health and that of their patients. The Irish Doctors for the Environment suggest that the HSE declares climate change as a health emergency, which would provide much-needed support to bring these changes about.

• As our health system begins to return to normal activity levels following the Covid-19 pandemic, we would like to hear about one change you would like to see. It can be something simple that annoys you, day in, day out, that is easily fixed, or it can be a small change in practice or attitude that would make life easier for everyone. Email health@irishtimes.com with your suggestion or fill in the form below.