NHS guidance supports climate change resilience
NHS England has published two new resources to help NHS organisations prepare for, and respond to, the impact of climate change.
The NHS Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool is designed to support NHS organisations to identify and assess climate-related risks and impacts to their sites and services.
And the Climate Adaptation Framework provides a holistic approach to organisational change centred around the development of four key capabilities that NHS organisations will need to adapt and become resilient to climate change.
The NHS Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool
The CCRA tool supports NHS trusts, system leaders, and other NHS organisations to:
- Identify climate-related risks specific to their operations
- Understand their potential impact on healthcare delivery
- Plan a response through identifying potential adaptations
- Progress towards NHS net zero commitments
- Maintain service continuity during climate disruptions
It includes six categories of hazard: heatwaves and high temperatures; drought; cold weather; downpours and flooding; severe weather events; and coastal flooding and erosion.
Organisations completing the document will assess the likelihood and potential consequence of each impact for its assets and produce a risk score.
They will then be asked to identify how each impact is being addressing through emergency preparedness, resilience, and response.
Plans will then be drawn up for current and future assets.
The Climate Adaptation Framework
Drawing from a model developed for the public sector in Scotland, this framework sets out a holistic approach for any NHS organisation to improve its ability to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change.
The framework is divided into four ‘capabilities’. These include:
- Understanding the challenge
- Organisational culture and resources
- Planning and implementation
- Working together
To develop maturity in each of these areas, the framework includes 43 recommended tasks.
By completing these, organisations will enhance their capability for adaptation and resilience to climate change.
An NHS England statement said: “Climate adaptation is not only about analysing climate data and risk models. Effective leadership, governance arrangements, inclusive planning approaches, and collaboration across teams and services are all key to successful adaptation.
“This framework is based on the principle that an organisation has adaptation ‘capability’ that determines its ability to respond to the impacts of climate change.”
It adds: “No organisation can adapt alone; by working together we can do more to achieve shared adaptation outcomes.
“By developing this capability, you will forge connections with key partners to share ideas and find opportunities to collaborate.
“You will benefit from engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders to help shape your adaptation plans.”