RCOT and sustainability

In October Pete Vesey was invited to represent us at this year’s British Association of Hand Therapists’ (BAHT) conference.  Pete got to rub shoulders with colleagues from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and Greener NHS whilst he was there.

Pete leads our approach to sustainability and works across our profession to incorporate best practice into the work of OTs. Explore our sustainability pages and find your next sustainable step.

After attending the BAHT conference, Pete has taken the time to reflect on his experience.

You can read his reflection in our blog section.

Following the Net Zero Clinical Care conference, which focused on reducing the carbon impact of clinical services across all levels of the UK health and care system, Richard Smith wrote a summary blog.

Find out what you missed and what the future of health care could look like by reading his blog via the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change website.

The conference was delivered by the BMJ and UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC)

The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC) has launched a policy report on biodiversity, climate change and health.

The two-part policy report focuses on terrestrial and marine ecosystems and has seven recommendations targeted at the UK Government and other relevant institutions.

The report can be downloaded from the UKHACC's website.

• We can all play a part in helping combat the impact of the climate emergency and reduce health inequalities.
• The current use of resources is not sustainable without compromising the wellbeing of future generations.
• Our ability, and that of the people we work with, to take part in meaningful occupations, have access to the places that matter to us and be satisfied with our occupational wellbeing are being affected by the climate crisis.
• Sustainability and a fair approach to facilitating occupational wellbeing should go hand in hand.

• embedding sustainability into our business activities
• enabling our members to understand and embed sustainability while delivering high quality, evidenced based care to the people they're working with
• being an ethical and sustainably responsible business.

Environmental sustainability at NICE is about reducing environmental harms both through how we operate as an organisation and through the information we produce.

You can read their full statement via their website.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) understands any negative impact of our activities on the environment and strives to make a positive contribution in reducing it and supporting people to do the same.

You can read their full report via their website.

We welcome the Health and Care Professions Council’s (HCPC) new environmental sustainability statement, and we will ensure that it helps to inform and shape the ongoing work that we are doing to support members as they incorporate sustainable practice into their professional roles.

You can read their full statement via the HCPC website.

Key actions:

• adopt a ‘digital first’ approach to our resource production
• take measures to enhance the environmental literacy of our staff to encourage green working practices
• make ‘Reduce, Reuse, Reprocess, Renew, Recycle’ our primary approach for organisational operations.

Key actions:

• develop a dedicated web page resource for members
• work creatively and collaboratively with members to promote sustainability
• showcase Green Member initiatives and good practices through our communication channels.

Key actions:

• develop and enact a CSR strategy and plan.

Key actions:

• review our investment portfolio
• add sustainability clauses to new contracts for services.

There is a strong link between our goals to improve public health, reducing health inequalities and achieving net zero emissions. To achieve this we can:

• keep working to reduce health inequalities and prevent illness
• help people you're working with take control of their health and reduce unnecessary healthcare visits.
• engage in 'making every contact count' conversations to improve patient health while being environmentally conscious
• advocate and use your influence – AHPs are respected professionals who can drive change.

You could:

• discuss eco-friendly options with the people you're working with for activities like cooking and shopping
• use resource-efficient methods to reduce waste and energy consumption
• look into local sustainability projects when addressing community participation and social isolation in OT intervention
• re-frame OT assessment documentation by including sustainable practices in daily living (self-care/leisure/productivity).

Collaborate with colleagues, including green champions and sustainability leads, to actively reduce the environmental impact of your practice when buying and prescribing items.

You can use the five key drivers:

• reduce – collaborate with patients and families to prescribe responsibly
• reuse – establish a system for cleaning and reusing equipment
• reprocess – repair equipment for longer use
• renewable – seek eco-friendly options
• recycle – save parts or recycle responsibly when equipment is no longer usable.

You could:

• support the people you work with in sustainable lifestyle choices, such as active travel and low-carbon diets
• promote plant-based, unprocessed foods, reduce food waste and consider physical and psychosocial factors
• think about why food is wasted physically and socially and find ways to address it, such as using adaptive cutlery or changing habits and routines
• integrate meal planning into assessments
• collaborate with healthcare professionals (especially Dieticians and Speech and Language therapists) for better patient choices.

Spending time in green and blue spaces is good for our mental and physical wellbeing and helps us connect with nature. Here are some activities you can do:

• grow your own food and flowers through social and therapeutic horticulture
• enjoy nature-based activities like swimming, walking, running and more in parks or at the beach
• take part in outdoor sports such as surfing, paddleboarding, hiking and more
• engage in activities like yoga, photography, wildlife programs and rewilding
• explore social farms and gardens.

Learn how health, climate change and sustainable occupations are interconnected. Integrate sustainability into occupational therapy practice.

• Choose learning options based on your time, budget and preferences, such as articles, videos, webinars, e-learning, or workshops.
• When selecting learning opportunities, consider environmental and social factors, like online vs. in-person options.

You may want to:

• share good practice and learn from others
• create a sustainability action group with colleagues
• connect with your organisational/service sustainability groups/leads
• join local in-person and/or national/international online networks to further the sharing of sustainable practice and support, for example OTsusnet
• use your current networks – RCOT have Specialist Sections in all areas of work – to connect with other OTs.

Actions at work affect people, the planet, productivity and profit. Make sustainability everyone’s responsibility. You could:

• use eco-friendly resources – adopt a digital-first approach
• get in touch with the green or sustainability lead in your organisation and/or integrated care system
• think of initiatives you can support or start in a small way with your team or service, such as getting auto-off light switches, recycling, or food waste bins, collecting used pens and so much more.

Prioritise digital first to benefit users and reduce emissions. You can:

• address digital exclusion by supporting access and skills
• apply clinical judgment, considering inequalities (health/ability/social)
• use remote consultations (phone/videocall) when appropriate
• optimize email and mobile contacts to reduce paper use
• use assistive tech and remote monitoring equipment or facilities
• schedule team sessions for email and file management and share documents online rather than by email.

When choosing travel options, ensure they provide fair access for you, your work and your patients, while minimising your carbon footprint.

You can ask yourself:

• Do I need to drive, or are walking, cycling, or public transport better options?
• Can I carpool or do the task online?

Keep in mind:

• driving is an option only for those with the means and ability
• many disabled individuals have more cycling options than you might think
• you can choose to walk, wheel, or cycle instead of driving to include exercise in your daily routine
• when using public transport, you'll also get some exercise by walking to bus stops or getting on trains.