Medical Students To Be Taught How To Cope With Impacts Of Climate Change

Student doctors are being taught how to deal with the new challenges posed by climate change as researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) reveal the need for a greater focus on sustainable healthcare.

The impact of flooding and heatwaves, new infections such as dengue fever, and changes in atmospheric pollution that exacerbate respiratory conditions, are set to put increasing strain on healthcare systems.

A project to train medical students to respond to the health effects of climate change - and reduce carbon emissions - has been praised in The Lancet today.

The NHS is the largest public sector emitter of carbon, and its Carbon Reduction Strategy sets stringent goals for an 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

The Sustainable Healthcare Education network, led by UEA’s Norwich Medical School, involves academics, doctors and medical students from around the UK. Its aim is to introduce teaching about sustainable healthcare into the medical curriculum so that graduates are prepared to contribute to coming changes in the NHS.

Today’s Lancet report highlights the project’s key achievement to date – the creation of a set of curriculum additions.

The new topics would see medical students learn about how the environment and human health interact and understand how climate change could influence human health in future.

Students would also need to demonstrate the skills needed to improve the environmental sustainability of the health sector – from recycling to reducing waste and better prescribing practices, all of which leave a heavy carbon footprint.

Lead researcher Stefi Barna, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “Climate change is primarily a health issue. Doctors need to lead on adapting to, and preventing, the health threats it poses as part of their duty to protect and promote the health of the public.

“We need to overhaul the health care system for the 21st century to respond to many pressures, and this is one of them. As well as responding to new health risks, such as increased flooding, heatstroke and new diseases, we need to look at how the healthcare system itself contributes to climate change – and reduce its emissions.

“We are working with the NHS to make significant reductions to its carbon footprint and improve patient outcomes at the same time. We are preparing tomorrow’s doctors to lead the health system through a time of rapid environmental change.

“Our research outlines the key concepts that doctors need to understand about how to identify, adapt to and prevent the health effects of climate change.

“Things like recycling more, and using less electricity will all help, but we are really looking at better and more efficient models of care. That means more prevention of chronic disease, for example by focusing on opportunities for active travel and promoting healthier, more environmentally friendly, diets.”

The Sustainable Healthcare Education network is made up of 10 medical schools, and led by UEA, the Campaign for Greener Healthcare and the Sustainable Development Unit. The proposed curriculum is already being trialled at UEA.

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