College joins UKHACC in urging First Minister to lead on climate for health

12 May 2023

The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change and its members have sent a letter to the First Minister, urging him to prioritise sustainability and lead in driving forward the critical changes needed to protect health and the health service in Scotland from the joint climate and nature crises.

“In the letter, the health leaders say they are deeply concerned about the impact that climate change and biodiversity loss are already having on human health, and the subsequent impact this has on our stretched health service. They say the consequences pose a systems-wide problem that affects every department of government and requires leadership from the top.

The health leaders say that achieving a sustainable health and care service will be central to achieving the wellbeing economy, and seizing the opportunity to invest in transformational change through the Covid recovery plans will be critical to ensure resilience for the future.

In the letter, they also call on the First Minister to build the right to clean air into legislation and to ensure that Scotland’s climate and nature plans are aligned with the science for rapid decarbonisation. These actions would both serve to ensure everyone has clean air to breathe and deliver the actions needed to limit global warming and restore the natural world.”

As a member of UKHACC, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow wholeheartedly supports this call to action.

College President, Mike McKirdy added that health services, and the way in which we deliver care, are themselves contributors to climate change. By changing to a more sustainable way of practicing medicine we can help slow the impact of climate change on human health, reducing the risk of extreme weather events, improving air quality and ensuring security of food supply. It is vital, even at this time of great pressure on the NHS, that action is taken to build in sustainable practices.

Read the full letter from UKHACC here – Letter to First Minister May 2023.docx (pcdn.co)

Categories: Climate Change, Health Inequalities