Agenda item

8.1  The Public Health Consultant presented to the Board, highlighting the following:

 

·  Drivers of population health; 

·  Defining climate change;

·  Impacts of the climate crises on population health;

·  Impact of climate related risks on healthcare facilities;

·  Climate change and mental health;

·  Main cause of disabilities and disease;

·  Climate Justice;

·  Social vulnerabilities to climate change;

·  Climate action and health co-benefits;

·  Climate change mitigation and adaptation;

·  Health co-benefits of climate change and climate change mitigation:

·  Health and climate – co benefits;

·  Health co-benefits of climate change adaptation;

·  Individual risk factors for poor health and premature death;

·  Climate change and mental health;

 

Key Questions:

 

-  Do our existing green/climate action plans explicitly, and adequately,

  address the health (equity) risks of the climate crisis?

-  Are there any potential unintended, negative consequences of our plans

  for population health? What mitigating measures can we put in place to

  avoid/minimise these?

-  Where are the greatest opportunities for collaboration to maximise the

  collective impact of our climate action to protect and improve population  

    health (and reduce health inequities) in Hackney?

-  Do we have a comprehensive understanding of the current/future population health impacts of the climate crisis in Hackney, and the potential health co-benefits of local climate action? Do we currently have the data/tools/skills to effectively measure these?

 

8.2  The Strategic Delivery Manager presented on the Climate Action Plan (CAP), highlighting the following:

 

·  Purpose of the climate action plan;

·  Control of omissions;

·  Key terms in the draft CAP;

·  Climate action plan themes;

·  Future suggested engagement approach:

·  Key stages of draft CAP timeline. 

 

Reflections from local NHS/ Green Plans leads

 

 

 

 

8.3  Rebecca Walters highlighted the following feedback from NEL:

 

·  Good opportunity for partners to collaborate on climate change;

·  Work was ongoing on building the social movement and educating people that climate crisis is a healthcare crisis, with GPs currently being trained;

·  Health issues are already arising from the climate crisis;

·  The borough of Hackney was ranked 8th in England for highest numbers of deaths relating to air pollution

·  Adaptation planning would be an opportunity for collaboration;

·  Hospital Emergency teams wished to bring partners together to reflect on the approach to heat waves;

·  Climate dashboards were to be produced which will assist in looking at neighbourhoods care needs.

 

8.4  Juliette Brown highlighted the following feedback from ELFT:

 

·  The importance of collaborative working on climate change;

·  East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) had published its Green plan earlier in the year;

·  The impact of climate change existed in the present with food bills and fuel bills interlinked;

·  ELFT was looking at engaging with staff on climate change and how  healthcare could be delivered in a more sustainable way, with consideration given to how energy and buildings are used;

·  Consideration was being given to how to help the population both practically and psychologically, supporting people to make plans in the event of a heat wave.

 

8.5  Catherine Pelley highlighted the following feedback from Homerton Hospital:

 

·  The Homerton was building on its commitment to be Net Zero;

·  Practical steps were being taken including the use of LED lights, electric vehicles, changes to anaesthetic gases, the living wall and an active gardening group;

·  Changes to inhalers would require the involvement of a wider group of partners;

·  Workforce and Patients were being engaged with on climate change and changes to day to day activities’ ;

·  The importance of partnership working on climate change; 

·  Staff and public to be engaged to better understand the impact small changes to day to day activities  can have an on climate change;

 

8.4  The Chair reiterated the questions to be considered by the Board.

 

 

 

 

8.5  Councillor Kennedy highlighted the following:

 

·  The need for linkage with NHS partners, assisting in engagement with patients and other service users to ensure that an inclusive conversation about climate change is taking place;

·  The need to be conscious of how fair the approach is;

·  The need for recognition that some action taken may benefit the climate change campaign but disadvantage individuals in their daily lives and that outcomes outweigh individual inconveniences.

·  Welcome the reusable sharp bins;

·  The need to reduce the use of single use plastics, in particular in medical settings.

 

8.6   Susan Masters asked for clarification on whether best practice on positive

climate action could be disseminated to the Community and Voluntary Sector through the neighbourhoods and the leadership groups on working together to minimise the impact on organisations. allowing for the fact that many of these are lacking in capital. 

 

8.7  Frances Haste highlighted the move to focus on increasing walking and

cycling in the  Borough, highlighting that many older people could not engage in these activities and may be left behind. 

 

8.8  The Chair referred to the need for work around identifying the unintended

consequences of the climate change initiatives and the need to find ways to mitigate these consequences.

 

8.9  Catherine Pelley highlighted that work was ongoing on recycling with

initiatives to reduce the use of single use plastics, particularly gloves with reminders to individuals that there was no longer a need to use these.

 

8.10  The Director of Public Health stressed the need to ensure that the health

co-benefits are embedded in the Green Plans and Hackney’s Climate Action Plan. There was a need to take account of  unintended negative consequences arising, with mitigation in place to ensure reduction. There was a suggestion to combine all three plans and carry out a health impact assessment of the combined plan which would assist in identifying the negative unintentional impacts and possible solutions. This would assist in maximising the health benefits of the plans, identifying areas of commonality with opportunities for joint working.

 

8.11  Rebecca Walters confirmed that a health impact assessment was

developed as part of the ICS green plan. The adaptation team was about to refresh a climate change assessment tool.

 

8.12  The Chair stressed that one of the themes emerging was increasing the

tangibility of how partners work together, considering how to combine the plans that are in place, working closely on creating one approach, covering the different elements, using health impact assessment across the heath integrated footprint while tailoring to the place based partnerships.

 

8.13  The Director of Education stressed the need to consult with children in

  the Borough on the Green Plans and Hackney’s Climate Action Plan.

 

8.14  Lorraine Sunduza highlighted the need to link the initiative to all those in

the population, particularly those who are more deprived, ensuring that it did not result in an additional expense and burden. There was a need to help people to understand how day to day activities contribute to the climate crisis with solutions that take account of cultural norms.