National Standards
Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resilience Healthcare Module
The Commission has drafted the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resilience Healthcare Module as a framework of actions that health services can use to ensure their services are improving the safety and quality of care while addressing the health impacts of climate change and healthcare’s contribution to climate change.
Joint Statement on Climate Change and Health
In an Australian first, the Commission has signed a Joint Statement, which represents a shared commitment to address the health impacts of climate change.
2024Publication, report or update
Climate change and healthcare
Climate change increases climate-related hazards that have impact on health outcomes, increasing the likelihood of requiring care from health systems. These hazards also pose risks to health systems which require adaptation to be resilient in the face of climate change.
Source: Operational framework for building climate resilient and low carbon health systems, WHO
Climate change impacting health outcomes
Health outcomes are made worse by exacerbated risk factors due to systems and environments that are impacted by climate change. Climate change creates additional strain on healthcare systems and threatens to disrupt access to care. Understanding and reducing the risks that climate change has on health and ongoing healthcare delivery is important to incorporate into existing safety and quality systems.
Source: Climate Effects on Health, CDC
Safety and quality in climate change
The Module provides a framework for addressing climate risks and healthcare's contributions to climate change through adaptation and mitigation strategies. Several actions under the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards support addressing environmental impact.
Environmental sustainability
Mitigating processes, practices and services that have high environmental impact ensures an environmentally sustainable way of providing appropriate care and reducing waste.
Examples of mitigation strategies under the NSQHS Standards:
- Action 4.14 - Safe disposal of unused, unwanted or expired medication mitigates impact on the environment
- Action 5.20 - Shared decision making around end-of-life care ensures quality care is received and mitigates unnecessary interventions and resource use is avoided.
Climate resilience
Adapting health services by identifying environmental risks means the sector is more climate resilient and able to respond to the needs of those most effected by climate change.
Examples of adaptation strategies under the NSQHS Standards:
- Action 2.11 - Partnering with those in the local community in healthcare design, measurement and evaluation adapts health services in climate resilience.
- Action 5.33 - Aggression has been correlated with increased heat. Incorporating climate factors in strategies to identify and mitigate situations that may support health services to adapt strategies for precipitating aggression.
Status of the Module
The Module
After public consultation in 2023, the Commission has published the draft version of the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resilience Healthcare Module.
This version is being used in a pilot process across several health services, currently underway and anticipated for completion by the end of 2024.
Timelines
| Timeline | Activities |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Advisory group formed with multidisciplinary health professionals, a consumer with industry experience and experts in environmental sustainability and climate resilience in health care |
| 2022 | Public consultation conducted: 96% of 757 survey participants said the Module was needed |
| 2023 |
Refinements from consultation, including aligning the Module with Australia's National Health and Climate Strategy Expanded advisory group for broader input from states and territories |
| 2024 | Piloting the Module |
| 2025 | Anticipated release of the Module |
Pilot
The Module is available in draft format while the Commission continues to work with its advisory group to identify and develop resources to support piloting of the Module, anticipated for early 2024.
The piloting of the Module will provide an opportunity for health services to discuss their current strategies and barriers with climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
Organisations interested in participating or contributing to the pilot can contact the Commission at environment@safetyandquality.gov.au.
The Module
After public consultation in 2023, the Commission has published the draft version of the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resilience Healthcare Module.
This version is being used in a pilot process across several health services, currently underway and anticipated for completion by the end of 2024.
Timelines
| Timeline | Activities |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Advisory group formed with multidisciplinary health professionals, a consumer with industry experience and experts in environmental sustainability and climate resilience in health care |
| 2022 | Public consultation conducted: 96% of 757 survey participants said the Module was needed |
| 2023 |
Refinements from consultation, including aligning the Module with Australia's National Health and Climate Strategy Expanded advisory group for broader input from states and territories |
| 2024 | Piloting the Module |
| 2025 | Anticipated release of the Module |
Pilot
The Module is available in draft format while the Commission continues to work with its advisory group to identify and develop resources to support piloting of the Module, anticipated for early 2024.
The piloting of the Module will provide an opportunity for health services to discuss their current strategies and barriers with climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
Organisations interested in participating or contributing to the pilot can contact the Commission at environment@safetyandquality.gov.au.
Development of the Module
Advisory group
A working group has been established to advise on further refinements on the Module, oversee the design and progress of the pilot and provide input into implementation resources.
| Committee contribution | Member name | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Conjoint Associate Professor Carolyn Hullick | The Commission |
| New South Wales representative | Dr Kate Charlesworth | NSW Ministry of Health |
| Victorian representative | Heidi Matkovich | Victoria Department of Health |
| Queensland representative | Kevin Phillips | Queensland Health |
| South Australian representative | Dr Kimberly Humphrey | SA Health |
| Western Australia representative | Dr Emma-Leigh Synnott | South Metropolitan Health Service |
| Tasmanian representative | Melissa Kim | Tasmanian Department of Health |
| Northern Territory representative | Maja Van Bruggen | NT Health |
| Australian Capital Territory representative | Liz Lopa | ACT Health |
| Commonwealth representative(s) |
Dr Madeleine Skellern Dr Georgia Behrens Dr Alice McGushin |
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Private Hospital representative(s) |
Dr Roger Woods Christine Gee |
Central Day Surgery Toowong Private Hospital |
| Consumer representative(s) |
Darlene Cox Anthony Brown Isabella Dudley |
Health Care Consumers Association Health Consumers NSW Consumer |
| Peak bodies |
Roslyn Morgan Dr Stefanie Carino Donna Burns |
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation - Vic Branch Climate and Health Alliance Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association |
| Subject matter expert(s) | Dr Forbes McGain |
Western Health Doctors for the Environment Australia |
Accreditation and the Module
When released, the Module may be implemented and assessed along with other national safety and quality standards.
At the conclusion of an assessment, an organisation receives a report that outlines the ratings for each of the assessed actions, and it may include recommendations or suggestions for improvement. The Module can be assessed at the same time as other national safety and quality standards and included in these reports.
It is proposed that existing clinical governance systems and processes are used to implement the Module. This Module was designed to work alongside other national safety and quality standards, to help reduce any burden of compliance.
The Module is intended to focus effort on changing clinical practices and services that have high environmental impact, as well as the more common organisational focus on waste, transport and power.
Throughout 2024, the Commission will work to identify and develop resources to help people across the healthcare sector to address climate change. If you have implemented high-impact programs that address climate change in your health service, we would like to hear from you.
History of the Module
The Commission worked in collaboration with technical experts and consumers to draft the Module. This was informed by a literature review that was completed in 2022. The review considered environmental sustainability and climate change in relation to safety and quality.
The Commission conducted a public consultation on the Module between October 2022 and February 2023 resulted approximately 800 responses. Overwhelmingly, respondents support the approach and the use of this Module.
In 2023, the Commission has worked with the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to align the Module with the National Health and Climate Strategy.
Advisory group
A working group has been established to advise on further refinements on the Module, oversee the design and progress of the pilot and provide input into implementation resources.
| Committee contribution | Member name | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Conjoint Associate Professor Carolyn Hullick | The Commission |
| New South Wales representative | Dr Kate Charlesworth | NSW Ministry of Health |
| Victorian representative | Heidi Matkovich | Victoria Department of Health |
| Queensland representative | Kevin Phillips | Queensland Health |
| South Australian representative | Dr Kimberly Humphrey | SA Health |
| Western Australia representative | Dr Emma-Leigh Synnott | South Metropolitan Health Service |
| Tasmanian representative | Melissa Kim | Tasmanian Department of Health |
| Northern Territory representative | Maja Van Bruggen | NT Health |
| Australian Capital Territory representative | Liz Lopa | ACT Health |
| Commonwealth representative(s) |
Dr Madeleine Skellern Dr Georgia Behrens Dr Alice McGushin |
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Private Hospital representative(s) |
Dr Roger Woods Christine Gee |
Central Day Surgery Toowong Private Hospital |
| Consumer representative(s) |
Darlene Cox Anthony Brown Isabella Dudley |
Health Care Consumers Association Health Consumers NSW Consumer |
| Peak bodies |
Roslyn Morgan Dr Stefanie Carino Donna Burns |
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation - Vic Branch Climate and Health Alliance Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association |
| Subject matter expert(s) | Dr Forbes McGain |
Western Health Doctors for the Environment Australia |
Accreditation and the Module
When released, the Module may be implemented and assessed along with other national safety and quality standards.
At the conclusion of an assessment, an organisation receives a report that outlines the ratings for each of the assessed actions, and it may include recommendations or suggestions for improvement. The Module can be assessed at the same time as other national safety and quality standards and included in these reports.
It is proposed that existing clinical governance systems and processes are used to implement the Module. This Module was designed to work alongside other national safety and quality standards, to help reduce any burden of compliance.
The Module is intended to focus effort on changing clinical practices and services that have high environmental impact, as well as the more common organisational focus on waste, transport and power.
Throughout 2024, the Commission will work to identify and develop resources to help people across the healthcare sector to address climate change. If you have implemented high-impact programs that address climate change in your health service, we would like to hear from you.
History of the Module
The Commission worked in collaboration with technical experts and consumers to draft the Module. This was informed by a literature review that was completed in 2022. The review considered environmental sustainability and climate change in relation to safety and quality.
The Commission conducted a public consultation on the Module between October 2022 and February 2023 resulted approximately 800 responses. Overwhelmingly, respondents support the approach and the use of this Module.
In 2023, the Commission has worked with the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to align the Module with the National Health and Climate Strategy.
Contact
Questions or comments on the Commission's work related to climate change can be addressed to environment@safetyandquality.gov.au.
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