Sustainability and Occupational Health

Question 1

What is sustainability?

Answer 1

To be able to continue over a period of time

Question 2

What are the 3 levels of sustainability relating to healthcare?

Answer 2

1. Global sustainability
2. Sustainability of the NHS
3. Personal and career sustainability

Question 3

What are the actions undertaken to combat global warming and health?

Answer 3

• Increase use of renewable energy resources (e.g. natural energy resources)
• Modify human behaviour (e.g. being more active and using less cars)
• Move back to plant based diet
• Educate on carbon literacy and numeracy
• Promote patient resilience
• Teach healthcare students that we are part of a wider ecological system (not only human anatomical system)

Question 4

What are the ways the NHS can take to fight global warming?

Answer 4

• Reduce material waste e.g. paper, sharps, drugs, packaging
• Transport
• Use of technology
• Implement self -management of health e.g. diet and exercise
• Energy saving

Question 5

Low carbon clinical care and NHS sustainability- Prioritise environment by:

Answer 5

1. Substitute harmful chemicals with safer alternatives (reduce and safely dispose waste)
2. Use energy efficiently and switch to renewable energy (reduce water consumption)
3. Improve travel strategies
4. Purchase and serve sustainably grown food
5. Safely manage and dispose of pharmaceuticals
6. Adopt greener building design and construction; purchase safer and more sustainable products

Question 6

What is resilience?

Answer 6

The ability to quickly return to a previous good condition

Question 7

What are the positive factors that contributes to a sustainable career in medicine?

Answer 7

1. Job security
2. Financial security
3. Stable terms and conditions
4. Respect for professionalism and knowledge
5. Appreciation for being in the role of a doctor and helping others
6. Working with a team over time
7. Ability to develop knowledge and interests
8. Ability to fit work around interests and lifestyle choices

Question 8

What are some challenges in a medical career?

P.s. it’s too late to back out now.

Answer 8

1. Considerable and rapid workload e.g. 10 minute appointments
2. Time management
3. Increasingly complex care over time (aging population with many co-morbidities)
4. Relentless arrival of mail and blood results and having enough time to action them/ process them
5. Care vs cure (longterm conditions)
6. Running a business over time (potentially)
7. Need to ensure team is harmonious and effective and can adapt to change

Question 9

What is a fit note?

Answer 9

• It is the replacement for the sick note

- Required if patient has been off for more than 7 consecutive days (including non-working days)

Question 10

What is the role of occupation health (OH)?

Answer 10

• Support and help people stay at work and live full and healthy lives
• Prevent work related ill health
• Provide specialist rehabilitation advice
• Provide independent, impartial advice to employers and employees on effects of work on health and effects of health on work

Question 11

What are the harmful affect of unemployment on health?

Answer 11

• Higher mortality
• Poor general health; longstanding illness
• Poorer mental health; psychological distress
• Higher medical consultation, medical consumption and hospital admission rates