FMLM members share their views on the proposal of a new NHS sustainability strategy

We surveyed our membership to ask their thoughts about a proposed new sustainability strategy for 2014-2020 from the NHS Sustainability Unit (NHS SDU). Here are our key findings.

This snapshot of our membership* illustrates an unequivocally high level of support, 87%, for the proposal of a new sustainability strategy for 2014-2020 from the NHS Sustainable Development Unit (NHS SDU).

It also demonstrates a strong desire for this strategy to extend beyond carbon reduction and beyond the NHS, with numerous suggestions that social services, the private sector, the third sector and providers of residential and dementia care should be approached as key collaborators.

However, our members also expressed concerns that there may be entrenched negative attitudes to sustainability in the healthcare sector that this strategy will need to overcome. Comments included ‘People do not understand why this is so essential’ and ‘…there has never been any mention of sustainability at any hospital I have worked at, and no effort at listening to suggestions’.

Another common theme was members’ observations that achieving the goal of financial sustainability often overshadowed that of environmental sustainability, as well as concerns that this strategy may only be successful in its ambitions if it can generate real change and impact at the grass roots level.

 The key findings from the FMLM survey were:  

• 87% of all respondents strongly agreed or agreed (52.2% plus 34.8% respectively) that a new strategy for sustainable development is needed to co-ordinate and guide the next phase of action to 2020.
• 84.5% of all respondents strongly agreed or agreed (68.9% plus 15.6% respectively) that the scope of the next strategy should be widened beyond the NHS to include other elements of the health and care system.
• Social services, the private sector, the third sector and providers of residential and dementia care received strong support as potential collaborators to a new strategy. 
• 87% of all respondents strongly agreed or agreed (41.3% plus 45.7% respectively) that sustainable development should be measured more broadly than through carbon reduction only.
• 86.9% of all respondents strongly agreed or agreed (54.3% and 32.6% respectively) that ‘Staff and leaders at all levels are empowered to behave sustainably at work’ should be a key ambition for the new strategy.  
• Of the 12 potential measures to judge the sustainability performance of the healthcare system as suggested by NHS SDU, two stood out as the most popular receiving support from 84.8% of all respondents: 1.)  % of NHS organisations with an up to date Board approved Sustainable Development Management Plan (SDMP) and 2.) waste volume
• Of the 9 sustainable development areas suggested by NHS SDU for the new strategy, 'energy and use of resources’ was the clear favourite with 65.2% of respondents strongly agreeing that this should be a priority, but only 26.7% of respondents strongly agreed that ‘Adaptation to climate change and adverse weather events’ should be a priority.

The new strategy will be launched in January 2014. Please visit www.sdu.nhs.uk for more information.

*Our survey was completed by 46 members.