medical school ’ s improvement and then repeat annually to track progress . This was done by way of a standardised set of metrics .
Following the success of the PHRC , it is now used globally . It has also been adapted to various healthcare professions , such as pharmacy , nursing and physiotherapy , all of which have their own metrics by which to assess their universities .
Prior to last summer , the potential for an occupational therapy PHRC lay untapped . I stumbled across the PHRC network while volunteering for the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare ( CSH ) and noticed a gap where occupational therapy was concerned .
Armed with some knowledge of sustainable healthcare from my work with CSH and the optimism of a bright-eyed student , I approached the PHRC team and expressed my interest in producing an occupational therapy version . As I ventured down this avenue , I was heartened to discover a team of like-minded occupational therapy students and an educator who shared my enthusiasm . Within this team , we converted the PHRC template into an occupational therapy-friendly format .
By consulting with students in the team and some UK-based educators , we produced an occupational therapy template designed for international use . The next phase was taking this report card for a test drive .
My own university was the chosen racetrack . For the pilot , I gathered a small team of occupational therapy students to answer the 60 or so questions that make up the report card . This relied on our experiences , input from educators and some collaboration with the medical students for reviewing campus-wide sustainability .
Reflections
As Earth Day ( 22 April 2024 ) approaches , my team and I are wrapping up the pilot of the occupational therapy PHRC . This project has been a heartening one . I have been able to discuss the PHRC with numerous occupational therapy students , educators and healthcare professionals , who consistently have expressed interest and support for this project .
Accompanying these encouraging responses have often been mystified expressions in response to terms like ‘ sustainable healthcare ’ and ‘ planetary health ’. In my experience , these concepts are foreign to many and the reality of what it means to practise occupational therapy sustainably remains vague .
This demonstrated a disconnect to me . There seems to be a desire to prioritise sustainability , but no road map for how to proceed .
While rigorous , the PHRC asks tricky questions of universities to get to the core of whether or not
Greener AHP Week 2024
The link between climate change and health is well established , yet the care we are delivering often contributes to the problem by adding to greenhouse gas emissions .
In October 2020 , the NHS became the first healthcare system in the world to set a target to be carbon net zero . AHPs are well placed to contribute to this , while ensuring high quality care for all . The Chief Allied Health Professions Officer ( CAHPO ) set out to highlight the role of AHPs in delivering a net zero NHS .
What AHPs do every day makes a difference . The actions we take to improve health and reduce health inequalities also improves our planet . Common AHP interventions that improve patient ’ s health , like encouraging active travel , promoting healthy eating , and supporting good mental health are part of the solution to climate change .
Find all the Greener AHP Week event resources and an event schedule on the Future NHS platform https :// future . nhs . uk /. If you do not have access to this space , you can request permission from the workspace manager at the given link or email seniorahp-manager @ future . nhs . uk . And don ’ t forget to tall us all about your Greener AHP Week projects . Email us at editorial @ rcot . co . uk .
they are providing students with this road map . By asking more from our education , the hope is that knowledge of planetary health will be an expectation rather than a luxury for newly qualified professionals .
Our education is one of the most influential places to build such specialised skills , but collaboration with our universities is necessary to develop this area of education . As sustainable healthcare becomes more widely discussed , possibly future mention of it will prompt an understanding smile , rather than a confused expression .
Greener NHS ( 2023 ) Greener NHS – National ambition . Available at https :// bit . ly / 3xi5HCG [ accessed : 21 February 2024 ].
Lancet Countdown ( 2023 ) Lancet Countdown 2023 – Visual summary . Available at https :// bit . ly / 3TJ9nVB [ accessed 28 November 2023 ].
Planetary Health Alliance ( 2023 ) Planetary Health Alliance . Available at www . planetaryhealth alliance . org / [ accessed 18 November 2023 ].
World Federation of Occupational Therapists ( 2018 ) Sustainability matters : Guiding principles for sustainability in occupational therapy practice , education and scholarship . Available at https :// bit . ly / 3TNd3FS [ accessed 4 April 2024 ].
Words CATHERINE POTTER , Occupational Therapist , Barts Health NHS Trust catherine . potter4 @ nhs . net
April 2024 OTnews 45