HR

WHAT CAN HR PROFESSIONALS DO TO IMPROVE HEALTH, SAVE MONEY AND RESOURCES, AND REDUCE CARBON POLLUTION?

1
Understand the basic facts:
The Climate Change Act 2008 legally obliges NHS organisations to take action to reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 80% by 2050. The NHS has an interim target of a 10% reduction by 2015. According to the respected medical journal, The Lancet, climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Our business is health and we have a moral duty to act on health threats and to manage future demand on the health service Sustainability is not just about carbon reduction. It is about delivering high quality care within economic, social and environmental limits. Therefore, it includes factors such as fair working practices, encouraging equality and diversity, promoting staff health etc. NHS case studies show it is possible to make substantial cost savings on energy and waste with minimal expenditure simply through improved staff awareness, engagement and training around carbon reduction and sustainability initiatives.

2
Move and Communicate better:
You can improve productivity and patient experience by ensuring all staff, regardless of role, are trained and competent in the use of appropriate technology (e.g. telephone, video and web conferencing between staff: staff, patients: staff, patient: patient). Use teleconferencing technologies to reduce business mileage expenditure. If teleconferencing replaced 5% of business mileage the NHS in England could save 13 million each year. Ensure the organisations travel plans incentivise and enable active forms of travel to improve staff health and well-being. Communicate the organisations commitment to corporate social responsibility by including a statement on sustainability in all job descriptions. Unhealthy activities are often very carbon intensive. The Sustainability agenda provides a compelling narrative to support the delivery of staff health and well-being initiatives and subsequently improve productivity and core performance.

3
Eat and Drink better
Instil a culture of proper lunch breaks across the organisation with a focus on the break part Educate staff and patients about the health benefits of a locally sourced, seasonal diet which is high in fruit and vegetables and contains less red meat and processed foods. Ensure staff, patients and visitors have access to locally sourced, healthy meals in the canteen. Consider your choice of concession partners carefully if you are trying to promote the health and well-being of staff is providing access to fast food conducive to achieving a culture of health in the workplace?

The 5 to Survive for HR Professionals were put together by the NHS SDU in association with HR Professionals from ten NHS organisations www.sdu.nhs.uk

4
Buy, procure, commission, use better
Clinical staff are the biggest direct users and managers of resources in the NHS, and so have a key role to play in ensuring that resources are used effectively and efficiently. Ensure they been trained in process improvement methodologies e.g LEAN and feel empowered to suggest/ deliver service level change Include a sustainability session at staff induction so staff understand the costs associated with inefficiency and waste and the opportunities to manage demand on health services through health promotion and sustainability Review HR processes and procedures to eliminate the unnecessary use of paper. Review the latest legislative requirements for what needs to be printed in hard copy and move everything else to paperless systems. The NHS has massive buying power that should be used responsibly. Tell those in your organisation who buy products that you expect carbon reduction and sustainability to be built into ALL existing contracts and tendering processes.

5
Develop better models of care
HR Professionals need to be involved from the outset in the redesign of services. You have a responsibility to understand models of care and to promote more efficient methods of care delivery (like the NHS Institute Productive series). A sustainable 21st century health service will require a flexible and adaptive workforce. It is critical that shifting models of care delivery are reflected in workforce and organisational development plans Transformational Change - Developing leaders to deliver a sustainable health service Instilling sustainable development principles in the development programmes of organisational leaders provides an opportunity for them to apply a long term strategic lens to core business decisions and shift models of care

What is 5 to Survive? 5 to survive and prosper is an initiative from the NHS Sustainable Development Unit (SDU). It aims to help different NHS professional groups to understand the role-specific opportunities, responsibilities and actions that they as a group need to take to ensure the resilience and sustainability of the health system. Why now? Sustainability has entered the business consciousness as a serious and pressing issue and therefore the regulatory requirements for organisations to demonstrate they are taking action are ramping up. The risks posed to the health system by constantly increasing demand, budgetary constraints, global resource uncertainty and a changing climate means that organisations that fail to manage these risks will quickly become unfit for purpose. However, organisations with the foresight to address future risks now are positioning themselves well. Who is responsible for this? The cross functional position of Human Resource professionals in an organisation means you have a unique perspective on how different parts of the system fit together and the opportunities for more efficient ways of working across departments/teams. Sustainability is an issue that impacts on the lives of everyone and it is therefore the responsibility of all health care professionals to take action. All health care staff have a key role in ensuring that resources are used efficiently, the carbon footprint of the health sector is reduced and health services continue to improve. www.sdu.nhs.uk NHS Sustainable Development Unit, 2010. All rights reserved.