Greener AHP Week returns this spring, running from Monday 20 April to Friday 24 April, bringing allied health professionals together to share learning, spark ideas and accelerate action on climate-conscious healthcare.
This year’s programme offers a rich mix of conversations and practical sessions designed to inspire you to make measurable progress on carbon reduction and sustainable practice.
Four flagship online events will anchor the week, each spotlighting a different aspect of the journey towards a greener health and care system:
Consensus on profession-specific carbon reduction priorities (Tuesday 21 April, 1-2.30pm)
Chief AHP Officer spotlight conversation with Chris Gormley, Chief Sustainability Officer (Wednesday 22 April, 1-1.30pm)
Carbon calculator session (Thursday 23 April, 11am-12pm)
Digital sustainability session (Friday 24 April, 11am-12pm)
Joining links for all sessions are available at www.england.nhs.uk/ahp/greener-ahp-hub/upcoming-events/ Alongside Greener AHP Week, you can deepen the conversation within our Sustainability Professional Network on RCOT Communities, a supportive and open community where every voice matters and curiosity is welcome. Together we can explore the role of occupational therapy in a climate changing world.
If you are experienced in or concerned about reducing environmental impact, reducing waste and pollution in your practice, or curious about how to integrate sustainability into everyday professional decision making, this is your space to explore, share and connect.
Karin Orman, RCOT Director of Practice and Innovation says: ‘We all have a part to play in reducing our carbon footprint. At RCOT, we have adopted the principle that we promote environmental sustainability in everything that we do. My hope is that this network will create a space for everyone to reflect, raise questions and share ideas and materials that support us all to adopt more sustainable practice.
‘Occupational therapists already contribute to reducing carbon omissions through prevention and reducing the need for hospital stays and crisis care. I would encourage all members to join the network to build on this foundation and change practice for a more sustainable future.’
Discover more at https://communities.
rcot.co.uk/page/welcome.
Commenting on the UK Government Department for Education’s Every child achieving and thriving White Paper, RCOT Professional Adviser for Children and Young People, Dr Sally Payne, said:
‘The White Paper marks a step forward in recognising what occupational therapists have been saying for years: children thrive when they get the right support early, in the places they learn and live. The proposed reforms will go a long way to reducing families’ struggles, but they’ll only work if the workforce is there to deliver them.
‘[It] recognises the importance of having occupational therapists in schools and across neighbourhood teams so children can get the right support at the right time. From providing support with handwriting to changing environments so they feel less overwhelming, occupational therapists are central to helping children participate, learn and achieve at school and at home.
‘The test will be whether the funding, workforce planning and local delivery structures are enough to make these reforms a reality for children, families and schools. We’ll be looking closely at how these details develop in the coming months. If implemented well, these reforms could significantly reduce the fight families face just to get the basics of support in place. But for this to become real change, we need a workforce that is equipped and resourced to deliver on these ambitions.
‘All children have a right to education and are more likely to succeed when they get the right support. If support is embedded in the education system from the start, there will be more capacity for occupational therapists and other specialists to support those children with more complex needs.’