Adaptation Report for the Healthcare System 2015

This report was written in response to the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) invitation to produce an Adaptation Report for the health sector as outlined under the Climate Change Act 2008. The health sector in England has made a joint collective commitment to address sustainable development and climate change recognising that by doing so it can develop more resilient services and improve population health. This first sector-wide report covers the majority of the health system in England. This report first outlines the risks resulting from climate change to the public’s health and to service delivery. It then describes an overview of the health sector’s response based on information collated from existing data and bespoke surveys. Lastly the report highlights a number of recommendations for the system to take forward.

The report was produced by a cross system working group (DH, SDU, NHS England and Public Health England). The group was formed to assess how climate change risks are assessed, whether adaptation plans are in place and how the impacts of adaptation plans are evaluated in the following parts of the system:

• Overarching system level
• National Bodies
• Providers (NHS)
• Ambulance Trusts
• Clinical Commissioning Groups 
• Community/The Public’s Health (Health and Wellbeing Boards)
   

 Report recommendations

• The sector should consider actions that improve resilience and reduce the likelihood of climate change. These also bring health benefits for individuals, communities and services as well as financial savings.
• The health sector needs to monitor the developing impacts of climate change, the effects on the population and the level of preparedness of services and communities.
• Further support should be given to embed climate change into local thinking and decision making, enhanced by a sound platform of information from nationally collated information and intelligence.
• Coordination and communication of risks and opportunities could be improved.
• Future ARP reports should include social care and more information on the role of small providers and community and voluntary sector.