Sustainable healthcare
Climate change effects our health and wellbeing and has major impacts on health systems. The health system is also a major contributor to climate change. We are working with government agencies and specialist organisations to address the health system’s contribution to climate change and build climate-resilient health systems.
How climate change impacts health
Climate change affects our health in many ways. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and changing ecosystems can lead to heat-related illnesses, changes in how diseases spread and poorer air quality.
Everyday activities involved in delivering care contribute to climate change, such as tests and procedures and resources used by health professionals like gloves, water and energy. These activities and resources are predominantly necessary but can have negative impacts when used unnecessarily or inappropriately.
What is appropriate and sustainable healthcare?
Appropriate care means patients receive the right type and amount of care, in the right place, at the right time. Unnecessary investigations and treatments are avoided, and valuable health resources are directed to where they are needed most.
What are we doing to support appropriate and sustainable healthcare?
We have several pathways and initiatives that support appropriate and sustainable healthcare, including:
- developing national standards and frameworks that promote a consistent approach to sustainability across healthcare
- promoting high-quality care pathways
- supporting best practice
- exploring and highlighting healthcare variation, and
- developing indicators to help us measure improvements in sustainable healthcare
Our joint statement with the Australian Centre for Disease Control, Australian Medical Colleges and the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association describes how we work together to achieve sustainable high-quality care in a changing climate.
Healthcare Sustainability and Resilience Module
Our Healthcare Sustainability and Resilience Module (the Module) provides guidance to health professionals to address the impacts health care has on the environment and provide sustainable, resilient care.
View our sustainability and resilience module
The Module has been designed to complement our national safety and quality standards and supports health service organisations when setting their priorities, targets and strategies for their existing and new services.
Adapting our Standards to be more sustainable
In addition to our Module, actions from our National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards can be adapted to support health professionals in addressing their environmental impact.
Examples for adapting our standards
| Action number | Actions in our NSQHS Standards where adaptation and mitigation strategies can be integrated | How these actions can be adapted |
|---|---|---|
| Action 4.14 | The health service organisation complies with manufacturers’ directions, legislation, and jurisdictional requirements for the:
| Safe disposal of unused, unwanted or expired medication mitigates impact on the environment |
| Action 5.20 | Clinicians support patients, carers and families to make shared decisions about end-of-life care in accordance with the National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care | Shared decision making around end-of-life care ensures quality care is received and mitigates unnecessary interventions and resource use |
| Action 2.11 | The health service organisation:
| Partnering with those in the local community in healthcare design, measurement and evaluation adapts health services in climate resilience |
| Aggression has been correlated with increased heat. Incorporating climate factors in strategies to identify and mitigate situations that may support health services to adapt strategies for precipitating aggression |
Better Care Everywhere
Better Care Everywhere is an initiative that brings together the wide range of guidance, tools and resources developed by the Commission to provide a comprehensive approach to promoting appropriate and sustainable health care.
Sustainability and infection prevention and control
Environmentally sustainable infection prevention and control (IPC) practices improve the safety and quality of health care for patients.
IPC programs play an important role in improving environmental sustainability in healthcare. IPC practices should aim to reduce the spread of infections while also considering the longer-term impact of practices on the environment. Interventions such as sustainable glove use and reducing waste will help to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare.
The Preventing and Controlling Infections Standard
Action 3.03g (Applying quality improvement systems) of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards Preventing and Controlling Infections Standard requires health service organisations to have systems in place to support and monitor the safe and sustainable use of IPC resources.
Fundamental IPC practices such as hand hygiene and appropriate glove use are simple and practical measures that support sustainable health care.
Appropriate glove use
Our sustainable glove use fact sheet provides guidance on the appropriate use of gloves for healthcare workers, including information on environmental sustainability and the impact of inappropriate glove use on patient safety.
This case study from Hunter New England can help you learn more about reducing unnecessary non-sterile glove use.
If you have been involved in a successful sustainability project related to IPC and would like to share your story, please contact HAI@safetyandquality.gov.au.
For operating theatres
Operating theatres are major contributors to a health service’s carbon footprint. Operating theatres rely heavily on single use products, fluids, and sterilisation procedures/chemicals to operate efficiently, all of which have a significant impact on the environment.
Resources that provide guidance to minimise the impact of operating theatres on the environment include:
- The Green Surgery Report – Reducing the environment impact of surgical care - developed by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, and UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, and endorsed by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
- New South Wales Health Surgery resources webpage, including a link to the Green Operating Theatre Sustainability Quiz.
Subscribe for updates
You can also receive regular updates about the Commission’s work by subscribing to eNews and updates.