GPs as ‘eco-warriors’: how we can help make a real difference

[摘要] AN EVOLVING PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT AND A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY Climate change is an existential threat to humanity but also an evolving threat to public health, requiring urgent action. Institutions and individuals alike have a responsibility towards helping to reduce their carbon footprint. Around 90% of NHS patient contacts are via primary care.1 As a first-contact personal healthcare service and gate-keeper, general practice provides over 300 million patient consultations each year compared to 23 million A&E visits.2 On average, GPs are in touch with 41 patients a day — via face-to-face appointments during the surgery, home visits, and via telephone and email.3 This highlights the perfect opportunity that GPs have in engaging with our community and raising awareness of the benefits and threats of climate change on our health.In essence, the primary care team should view clinical care through a sustainability lens to benefit the health and wellbeing of current and future generations. If we are proactive, we can support our patient population to tackle the climate crisis.So why has there been a slow movement in ‘greener’ education in primary care? Although GPs may well be aware that the ‘climate emergency’ is also a ‘health emergency’, many of us do not make the connection with clinical practice when it comes to taking action. We often fail to realise that the majority of a general practice’s carbon footprint (approximately 60%) results from clinical work.

[学科分类] 卫生学