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  3. Building a Climate-Resilient Health System in the UK

Building a Climate-Resilient Health System in the UK

A policy report by the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change

The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related events pose significant challenges to the UK healthcare system. Extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and shifting disease patterns threaten the health of the population and strain existing and future healthcare resources. This report outlines strategic recommendations to enhance the resilience of the UK healthcare system to climate change, focusing on adapting infrastructure, workforce preparedness, and community engagement.

Building a climate-resilient health system in the UK

In this policy report we outline seven recommendations to build a climate resilient health system to protect health now and for future generations, ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can access care in a fairer, greener, and healthier society.

Recommendations

1. Provide sustainable funding
  • Allocate ring-fenced multi-year funding for climate adaptation initiatives within the NHS budget. 
  • Explore and enable public-private partnerships to finance large-scale infrastructure upgrades.
2. Strengthen healthcare infrastructure
  • Conduct climate risk assessments for all NHS facilities to identify vulnerabilities at the local level.
  • Urgently undertake existing repairs required and retrofit existing healthcare buildings with climate-resilient features, including improved insulation, flood defences, and renewable energy systems.
  • Ensure all new healthcare facilities meet high environmental and climate resilience standards.
  • Prioritise integration and expansion of high quality green spaces within healthcare estates.
  • Ensure collaboration of DHSC, NHS and ICBs with mayoral and local authorities to integrate climate considerations in any future planning decisions.
3. Enhance workforce preparedness
  • Integrate climate adaptation training into medical, nursing, pharmacy and allied health professionals curricula.
  • Ensure that NICE and SIGN provide clear guidance for clinicians on managing climate-related health risks and incorporating sustainability into clinical practice.
  • Develop rapid response protocols for climate-induced health emergencies.
  • Establish support systems for healthcare workers during extreme weather events to maintain service continuity.
4. Promote public health resilience
  • Expand community-based programmes to educate the public on climate-related health risks and preventive measures.
  • Enhance surveillance systems to monitor and respond to emerging health threats like vector-borne diseases.
  • Ensure collaboration of DHSC, NHS and ICBs with local authorities to create heatwave and flood response plans.
5. Foster cross-sectoral collaboration
  • Strengthen partnerships between the NHS, local councils, and environmental agencies from planning to implementation stages to align climate adaptation efforts.
  • Leverage technology and data-sharing platforms for better coordination during crises.
  • Advocate for integrated urban planning to reduce health risks from climate impacts.
6. Integrate climate adaptation into health policies
  • Mandate the development of a Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) across each of the devolved nations, outlining specific strategies for the healthcare sector to respond to climate risks.
  • Align NHS climate resilience initiatives with the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) and other national climate policies to streamline resources and efforts.
  • NHS organisations should have climate change response plans that cover both emissions reductions and adaptation planning; ICS Green Plans in England, Climate Change Response plans in Wales, and Sustainability Plans in Scotland.
7. Strengthen research on climate adaptation
  • Invest in research to quantify climate health vulnerabilities and guide evidence-based policy-making.
  • Invest in research to identify cost-effective adaptation strategies.

4-page policy brief

Infographic: Vision

Infographic: Implementing

Assessment of the UK health system against the WHO building blocks for a climate resilient health system

Leadership and Governance

While some adaptation measures have been taken, this has not been given the same profile as climate mitigation in the UK’s healthcare sector.

Workforce and delivery

This section integrates both the health workforce and service delivery components from the WHO framework, as they complement each other and help prevent duplication.

Health information system

Frameworks and tools exist to help NHS organisations identify climate change risks and adapt against vulnerabilities but a number of gaps remain in health system preparedness

Essential medicines and technologies

There are examples across the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales where healthcare facilities are adapting to the current impacts of climate change

Climate and health financing

Funding for climate adaptation measures has lagged far behind mitigation investments but the several early adaptation investments could offer value for money

The WHO building blocks

The WHO operational framework for building climate-resilient health systems aim to improve the climate resilience of health systems to increase the protection of communities while optimising resources

Vulnerabilities of the UK health system to climate impacts

Heat

Heat is a priority risk for the NHS in England, as healthcare infrastructure is generally ill-equipped to handle extreme temperatures

Flooding

With flood risk to healthcare facilities projected to grow, there is an urgent need for adaptation measures.

Wildfires

Strengthening community engagement and bolstering climate resilience are critical steps in mitigating the threat of wildfires.

Drought

Droughts often coincide with heat waves and exacerbating health impacts

Food and water insecurity

Climate impacts and droughts threaten food and water supplies

Infectious diseases

Climate change affects the incidence and distribution of infectious diseases

Mental health

11 out of 15 health professionals interviewed mentioned harms to mental health as a key threat of climate change

Service delivery

Climate-related events can lead to significant supply deficits in hospitals, affecting both resources and personnel