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Climate change is a health issue: what can doctors do?
Author(s) -
Sainsbury Peter,
Charlesworth Kate,
Madden Lynne,
Capon Anthony,
Stewart Greg,
Pencheon David
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/imj.14380
Subject(s) - transformational leadership , climate change , medicine , action (physics) , healthcare system , unit (ring theory) , public relations , health care , sustainable development , environmental resource management , economic growth , political science , psychology , ecology , physics , mathematics education , environmental science , quantum mechanics , economics , biology , law
The visit to Australia by Dr David Pencheon, Founding Director of the National Health Service (NHS) Sustainable Development Unit, in April–May 2018 generated considerable interest and engagement. Dr Pencheon's overarching messages were that climate change is a health issue and that doctors and health systems have an opportunity, and responsibility, to lead climate action. This article distils Dr Pencheon's presentations into three themes: (i) carbon accounting; (ii) transformational change in our systems of healthcare; and (iii) a health system fit for the future. For each theme, we highlight promising initiatives that are already underway in Australia that are starting to transform our health system into one fit for a future environmentally sustainable world. We suggest practical ways in which doctors can lead the transformation through personal action and influence broader systems.