NHS Ayrshire & Arran has continued to make excellent progress developing and delivering across a large and complex sustainability agenda. Progress on sustainability is set out in annual reporting and assessment evidencing our ambition to deliver on the UN Sustainability goals 2030. It is vital that sustainability activity is part of everyone’s role across the whole organisation allowing us to make even more progress and bring sustainability “out of the plantroom”. Rapid change is required to meet our legal obligations around climate change, decarbonising our buildings and services.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy 2021 – 2032
Read our Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy 2021 – 2032 to learn more about our Climate Change strategic overview, high level objectives and actions, available at:Climate-Change-and-Sustainability-Strategy-2021-2032-1.pdf (nhsaaa.net)
Assessment and improvement to NHS Ayrshire & Arran land biodiversity
Planting trees and creating sustainable outdoor environments can also help us to: improve our sites biodiversity; meet the requirements of the Biodiversity Duty; and meet our carbon reduction targets.
Greening the Estate/Green Health
Health and wellbeing are products of a complex interaction of factors, which include our physical environment.
There is a growing evidence base demonstrating the links between greenspace and general health measures, physical activity, mental health and wellbeing.
Improving the quality of our outdoor space so that patients, staff and visitors can make better use of it for exercise, recovery, rehabilitation, relaxation and recreation supports healthier lifestyles. As well as providing opportunities for physical activity for patients, staff and visitors NHS green space can contribute to improving health by reducing pain, stress, relieving depression, reducing aggressive behaviour, increasing patient satisfaction, and improved recovery rates.
Find out more about green health, our green health app and how to access green health opportunities.