Mr Ben Whittaker
Ben is an occupational therapist and has worked in mental health services since 2008. He has been with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for 10 years, most recently as a lead practitioner in the Brighton & Hove Assertive Outreach Team working with people with severe enduring mental health problems and complex needs.
Ben has worked at the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) since 2009. He organises Occupational Therapy Susnet and as AHP Lead has guided the development of clinical networks for other allied health professions. Ben has also been the lead for Green Walking in Mental Health Recovery, an initiative to promote and improve access to green spaces for general adult psychiatric inpatients.
Ben has used Sustainable Quality Improvement (SusQI) methodology to facilitate workshops as part of CSH’s Green Ward Competition at different NHS Trusts. He has helped develop educational materials and presented about sustainable healthcare at universities, study days and conferences.
Ben convenes local, national and international sustainability groups. He has been involved with various publications and was the initial project lead for the World Federation of Occupational Therapists sustainability working group.
Reason for applying for the scheme
Ben is passionate about sustainable healthcare and has been working towards this locally, nationally and globally for more than a decade. He is very excited to join the Chief Sustainability Officer’s Clinical Fellow Scheme and have the opportunity to work with the Greener NHS team and the Office of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer.
With many AHPs practicing within sustainable models of care, Ben wants to communicate the key role that AHPs will play in delivering a net zero NHS. He is looking forward to supporting the Chief AHP Officer with the dissemination and implementation of the Greener AHP plan. Ben is keen to learn more about all fourteen professions in the AHP family and explore ways that they can further develop and integrate sustainability agendas.
Through the fellowship Ben hopes to change his understanding of what leadership involves, and to be better able to advocate for excellence in the clinical leadership of sustainable healthcare at this time of climate emergency.
Ben appreciates that addressing climate change is the biggest global health opportunity we have. He wants to make the most of the new chances that the fellowship will bring to demonstrate this positive message, throughout the NHS, at COP26 and beyond.
