VICDOC Summer 2023 - Magazine - Page 32
CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE DEFINING HEALTH AND
SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE OF OUR GENERATION.
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The burning of fossil fuels is the major
driver of climate change, and climate
change has significant health impacts.
It's a healthcare issue and we should
feel that it's in our remit to speak up
against ongoing fossil fuel use. The health
community was vocal about taking on Big
Tobacco on health grounds – we need to
take the same approach with the fossil
fuel industry. The World Organization
of Family Doctors (WONCA) recently
released a statement calling for a fossil fuel
non-proliferation treaty. I'm very proud
that the Royal Australasian College of
Surgeons signed on and endorsed this.
SUSTAINABILITY IN HEALTH ISN’T ABOUT
REDUCING QUALITY OF CARE, AND IT'S NOT
ABOUT DELIVERING LESS HEALTHCARE.
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It's not about going back to how things
were done in the 1980s and accepting the
standards and outcomes that we had then.
It's about making sure that we deliver
healthcare better, smarter, and with a keen
eye on our resources, providing world-class
care in the most environmentally conscious
and responsible way possible.
I THINK THAT IN A DECADE, SUSTAINABILITY
WILL BE A CORE CONSIDERATION IN ALL
DECISION-MAKING.
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We're already starting to see the structures
that will drive this change. One major
development that will really impact
environmental sustainability at hospital
level is the soon-to-be-released Australian
Commission on Safety and Quality
in Health Care sustainable healthcare
module. That's going to force the change
towards sustainability becoming business
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AMA VI C TO RIA
as usual, because then a hospital will
have no choice but to engage with it
meaningfully. We're already developing
the tools to help hospitals meet these
standards and are piloting them in the
Northern Territory hospital system
next year.
SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT THE PUSH FOR
SUSTAINABILITY IS GOING TO STIFLE
INNOVATION. I SAY THAT'S REALLY
NOT THE CASE — THE OPPOSITE, IN FACT.
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Innovation is the key to creating sustainable
solutions. The challenge we currently
face in healthcare is implementing and
sustaining change without a proper
evaluation process or framework. There
are a whole range of innovations that don’t
necessarily have a very strong evidence base
behind them and are driven by industry
interest, cost savings or individual clinician
preference rather than by clear benefit to
patients. There's got to be a point where
that's not acceptable anymore and I’m
excited to see how healthcare innovation
evolves to ensure we deliver sustainable,
high-value care.
ONE IMMEDIATE, TANGIBLE CHANGE WE’RE
WORKING ON IS REPLACING DISPOSABLE STERILE
GOWNS AND DRAPES WITH REUSABLE ONES.
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There is a significant environmental
difference between reusable and disposable
sterile surgical gowns. Every time a
disposable gown is used, it’s the equivalent
of burning a litre of petrol. Not only that –
reusable gowns use less water and produce
less landfill waste. RACS have written a
position paper recently endorsed by the
Australasian College of Infection Prevention
and Control, stating that reusable gowns
are just as effective as single use gowns at
preventing infections.
