Climate change adaptation
Scotland’s climate is changing faster than expected according to research published by the James Hutton Institute in December 2023.
According to this research:
- “Between 1990 and 2019, February and to a lesser extent April have become wetter, particularly in the west, by up to 60%, exceeding the projected change by 2050 of 45-55%.”
- “Scotland is on track to exceed “a 2°C increase in temperature by the 2050s, with the months from May to November experiencing up to 4°C of warming over the next 3 decades (2020- 2049).”
- “The number of days of consecutive dry weather – an indicator for drought and wildfire risk – are also expected to increase in drier months, such as September.”
Climate change exacerbates existing health risks and introduces new challenges, ranging from the spread of infectious diseases to the intensification of heatwaves and extreme weather events that will impact the health of the population, healthcare assets and services. NHS Scotland plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the life and health of communities by developing climate-resilient health systems capable of responding to these evolving threats.
The changing climate is increasing risks for health and health services. More information on these risks in the UK can be found in the UK Climate Change Committee’s Health and Social Care.
Briefing available here: www.ukclimaterisk.org/independent-assessment-ccra3/briefings/
What are the main risks from climate change that the Health Board has identified through its Climate Change Risk Assessment?
NHS Golden Jubilee completed a Climate Change Risk Assessment using the Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Planning Tool developed in February 2024 with the support of NHS Scotland Assure.
The 5 main risks are noted as follows:
- Access to the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital - Patient and staff access may be difficult in heavy downpours.
- Access to the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital - Site access may be restricted during combined climatic weather events.
- Patient capacity within Golden Jubilee University National Hospital - Delayed patient discharge due to increased local service demand.
- Staff wellbeing - Staff wellbeing may be negatively impacted during warm temperatures; and
- Electronic equipment and room temperature monitoring systems - Electronic equipment may overheat as room temperatures increase.
What actions has the health board taken to reduce those risks – what has changed since the last report?
The action plan has identified key recommendations and relevant stakeholders, such as:
- Consult with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and check the certainty of local maps, and consider using their flood maps/alerts/warnings, which may come at a cost. This will help plans to be proactively adjusted, such as rerouting transport.
- Consider liaising with Local Authorities to discuss whether they have flood plans and diversions in place for roads that are likely to flood.
- Develop and formalise communication plan for weather and Scottish government and/or local authority or other alerts.
- Formal community response to be developed.
- Consider developing a Summer/Hot Weather Plan, similar to the Winter Plan, to ensure an intentional and fully consistent approach to addressing the impacts of periods of high and/ or sustained summer heat. This could explore the local and historical impacts of previous heatwaves. Most notably, the knock-on impacts of increased service demand on GP surgeries and community health centres during periods of high heat on Golden Jubilee’s capacity to discharge patients should be assessed.
The risks and actions are being addressed with a timeline target of March 2025.
What are we doing to be prepared for the impacts of climate and increase the resilience of our healthcare assets and services?
Whole system planning
NHS Golden Jubilee commissioned an external technical review to provide mechanical, electrical and public health engineering consultancy support in relation to the existing infrastructure condition and capacities, together with a high-level appraisal of infrastructure assessment options in relation to existing and future developments. The purpose of this exercise was to:
- Identify a 5 year plan with cost estimates.
- Agree prioritisation through business continuity risk rating workshops; and
- Develop a combined technical and Business Continuity Plan (BCP) rated report.
Development of an Environmental Management System
There are policy, strategy and delivery requirements on NHS Boards to implement Environmental Management Systems to the standard of ISO14001 or equivalent.
NHS Golden Jubilee has started the implementation phase and will continue to develop the system to ensure we not only meet requirements of the standard, but utilise the system to ensure compliance and reduce our impact on the environment.
Staff attended 2 training sessions arranged through NHS Scotland Assure. Next steps is to hold an internal workshop with key staff to begin developing both the legislation, and aspects and impacts registers. The first 6-12 months will be a development and learning phase whereby we intend to bring more stakeholders into the fold to ensure our system is fully comprehensive.
An environmental policy will be drafted during 2024/2025 to support the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy which we align to.
