BMJ  2008;336:740 (5 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39538.375706.DB (published 2 April 2008)

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NHS should bring in measures to reduce its carbon footprint, BMA says

Susan Mayor

1 London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The NHS should urgently introduce measures to reduce its energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases, recommends a report published this week by the BMA. This includes reducing the amount of travel by patients and staff and making greater use of electronic communication, the report says. It warns that the NHS currently produces emissions equivalent to about a million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year and accounts for 5% of all road transport emissions in the United Kingdom.

The report reviews the potential effects on health of climate change and makes a range of recommendations on measures that the NHS and health professionals can take to reduce the contribution of their work to climate change. It notes that the NHS is the largest single organisation in the UK, employing more than one million people. NHS healthcare facilities spend £400m ({euro}500m; $800m) each year on energy.

"As the biggest employer . . . [Full text of this article]


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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Simpson, M. (2008). Time for a culture change. BMJ 336: 848-848 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

The answer is simple.
Neil Srinivasan
bmj.com, 5 Apr 2008 [Full text]
Let's set an example
Elliott J King
bmj.com, 6 Apr 2008 [Full text]
Culture change in attitudes needed
Mike Simpson
bmj.com, 7 Apr 2008 [Full text]
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