UNISON supports greening the NHS and launches survey

UNISON UK wide branch and member survey on using lessons learnt from the pandemic to build back a greener NHS

In light of the NHS Net Zero report published last week, we are currently conducting a short survey of members and branches to find out your views on what UNISON can do to help the NHS take forward its green agenda.

If the ongoing pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s how proud we all are of our members working across the NHS who have shown us how brilliant you are at adapting to new and different ways of working.  We want to ensure that you have a say in any changes that are taken forward, and those that are have a positive impact on both your wellbeing and the environment.

In order for the NHS to lead by example and bring about real change, the opinions and expertise of all staff groups will need to be taken into account no matter what your role.

Therefore, we would be extremely grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey and forward it onto as many members as possible.

The results will be used by UNISON to take forward our very own greening the NHS agenda as well as to feed in your views into the continuing work of the NHS Expert Panel.

Thank you in advance for you time.

UNISON supports plans for a greener NHS following the publication of the ‘NHS Net Zero’ interim report

Last week, the NHS in England published its ‘NHS Net Zero’ interim report which looks at how the NHS will reach net-zero carbon emissions to help the UK government meet its reduction requirements by 2050 in order to tackle climate change.

The report has been developed as the result of the work of an NHS Expert Panel, chaired by Dr Nick Watts from the Lancet Countdown and has been supported by UNISON who hold a seat on the Panel and have been involved in the work from the outset.

It recognises that whilst COVID-19 remains to be the most pressing health emergency facing us now, the climate emergency poses the biggest long-term danger to us all and makes a strong link between the climate emergency, our health and the need to tackle health inequalities.

The report covers every aspect of health and how it is delivered. This includes looking at delivering new models of care, medicines and the supply chain, transport and travel, catering, decarbonising buildings and reducing waste to name a few.

UNISON welcomes the inclusive nature of the report which recognises that all staff have a part to play in delivering a carbon free NHS and the focus should not just be on clinicians. For example, the report specifically targets Estates and Facilities staff who have been identified to undergo training to help to deliver these plans.

UNISON has and will continue to make the point that in in order to be successful in delivering a net carbon zero NHS, staff involvement is crucial.

Access the full report.

For more information including what this will mean for our branches and members working across the different occupational groups, please keep an eye out for our digest which will be sent out via health news next week.