Climate Adaptation Framework for NHS organisations – Further Guidance
more deprived areas and more vulnerable populations are likely to be worst affected, making this an issue of social justice as well. Climate Impacts Climate change impacts are the consequences felt from climate hazards. The same climate hazard could cause a different impact based on other factors such as exposure (e.g., being located next to a river during heavy rainfall) and your vulnerability (e.g., the health of someone who is already unwell being more impacted by a heatwave).
6 Graphic demonstrating how the risk of an event is a combination of the hazard, a person/place’s exposure, and vulnerability.
Climate change impacts are felt within healthcare in two main forms:
• The delivery of healthcare service: ranging from risks to hospital estate, supply chains and transport. • Public health: new pressures on the health system as a result of heatwaves, pests and diseases, heat exposure, and extreme weather events. Many of us have already seen severe weather having an impact on the capacity of the health service to treat people and on public health. Some examples of this include: • During the heatwaves of June and August 2022, 56,303 deaths occurred in England and Wales, which is 3,271 deaths (6.2%) above the five-year average. • An additional ~2,500 deaths recorded across England during the summer of 2020 related to heat and Covid-19. • Up to 90% of hospital wards are designed in a way that leaves them at risk of overheating. • Up to 10% of UK hospitals are located in areas of significant flood risk. Understanding, anticipating, and adapting to these new challenges is essential for developing a more climate-resilient NHS. Climate Change Adaptation Climate adaptation is any action to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
Authors: Sustainability West Midlands; Sniffer Partners: NHSE North East & Yorkshire, NHSE North West, NHS Greater Manchester
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