Healthy Planet Healthy People
Our Work
Here's what we're up to
Annual Greener Practice Award
In 2018 the RCGP SYNT (South Yorkshire, North Trent)" Practice of the Year Award 2018" event was awarded for Greener Practice.
This is now an annual award with submission closing at the end of October each year. Entry is through the Green Impact Audit. We encourage everyone who had taken any actions taken on the Audit to submit!
For more information see the "how to get involved section".
Solar Panels for free: Help planet, bills & people in fuel poverty
If you want to REDUCE your practice's carbon footprint and electricity bills all while helping the local community, here's your chance. Sheffield Renewables are a community enterprise who raise money through community share offers to help put solar panels on community buildings including GP surgeries. The panels are installed for free, the practice buys electricity from Sheffield Renewables at a cheaper rate and funds raised help support people living in fuel poverty. Sheffield Renewables will also guide practices if they wish to own the panels themeselves. If your practice is interested, get in touch with Dave Berry who can put together a personal business case for your practice.
Support for patients in Fuel Poverty
South Yorkshire Energy Centre is an education and visitor centre based at Heeley City Farm. The Centre is an eco-refurbished, solid-walled, terraced house which demonstrates a wide range of energy efficiency measures, renewable technologies and sustainable building methods.
SYEC's aim is to help people keep warm, keep well and save money by offering:
• Free, impartial advice and information on making homes energy efficient (and therefore cheaper to run) and reducing bills. They can also provide support on switching energy supplier and signpost to grants and discounts available.
• Organised visits to the Centreproviding educational sessions and guided tours for groups, schools, colleges and universities.
• Outreach visits to community groups and events to deliver energy saving talks and advice
Our Work
Here's what we're up to
Working with the RCGP
Greener Practice chair, Dr Aarti Bansal, is the local RCGP SYNT faculty climate crisis and sustainability champion. We hope other faculties will follow.
We wrote the climate emergency motion that was successfully passed by the RCGP national council on the 20th September 2019. Aarti is co-chairing the task and finish group with Dr Terry Kemple to set out proposed actions for the college. If you would like to get involved please email
We partner with our local faculty to deliver an annual Greener practice Award to a local GP practice. Find out more about applying in the get involved section.
Solar Panels for free: Help planet, bills & people in fuel poverty
If you want to REDUCE your practice's carbon footprint and electricity bills all while helping the local community, here's your chance. Sheffield Renewables are a community enterprise who raise money through community share offers to help put solar panels on community buildings including GP surgeries. The panels are installed for free, the practice buys electricity from Sheffield Renewables at a cheaper rate and funds raised help support people living in fuel poverty. Sheffield Renewables will also guide practices if they wish to own the panels themeselves. If your practice is interested, get in touch with Dave Berry who can put together a personal business case for your practice.
Support for patients in Fuel Poverty
South Yorkshire Energy Centre is an education and visitor centre based at Heeley City Farm. The Centre is an eco-refurbished, solid-walled, terraced house which demonstrates a wide range of energy efficiency measures, renewable technologies and sustainable building methods.
Green Impact Audit
We are encouraging local practices to take part in the Green Impact Audit created by the RCGP and NUS. You receive a "working towards" certificate for having set your practice on a greener path with even one simple action and there are bronze, silver and gold awards to be gained. Win-win actions for patient and planet include the use of green inhalers, green prescribing, referring patients in fuel poverty and reducing overprescribing. Other simple actions include reducing waste and inhaler recycling.
Advertise you achievements by linking through @GreenerPractice on Facebook and Twitter. For more information visit the Green Impact For Health website
Active Travel
We know people feel they need a car for work - not just the commute but also home visits and other work related journeys. But we also know some who would happily leave their fossil fuel guzzling cars at home if there was a viable alternative.
Some practices in Sheffield have obtained e-bikes for visits which is healthier for people and planet. It may also be quicker. If you are not confident of riding on the roads, Pedal Ready and Sheffield cycle boost provide free cycle confidence lessons to people in South Yorkshire. Pedal ready are a great service to signpost to patients who wish to become active through cycling.
Do you want to learn more about climate and health?
What has health got to do with Climate?
These short videos - explain it really well.
The Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change
The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change advocates for responses to climate change that protect public health.
The Sustainable Development Unit ensures that the health and care system fulfils its potential as a leading sustainable low carbon service. They have a carbon calculator and a powerful points library with impactful facts and figures about sustainable development in health and care
The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare provides a wide range of materials to support health professionals to develop sustainable approaches. They have excellent education resources for medical educators.
Campaigning organisations
Medact campaigns for the human right to health worldwide. A key strand of their work is on climate change and fossil fuel divestment.
Sheffield climate alliance: Sheffield Climate Alliance is an alliance of local organisations and individuals who are pressing for fair and effective action to tackle climate change. They have a great website with links to local events.
Extinction Rebellion: Extinction Rebellion is an international movement using non-violent direct action to demand that governments worldwide take urgent action on climate change.
Doctors Against Diesel: Doctors against Diesel is a Medact campaign using a strong evidence base to campaign against air pollution.
Concerned Health Professionals of the UK: CHPUK is a group of health professionals deeply concerned about the health effects of fracking, who campaign for a ban on fracking in the UK.
Getting Involved
What Can You Do?
LINK to Greener Practice.co.uk
Link onto our website from your practice website. Copy and paste the logo and then create a hyperlink.
Take part in the Green Impact Audit and see how you can improve your surgery's environmental sustainability.
Every practice that completes criteria (no matter how many or how few) will receive a Green Impact for Health Working Towards Accreditation certificate to demonstrate the commitment that has been made.
Annual Greener Practice award for South Yorkshire and North Trent Practices.
There is an annual award for practices in the South Yorkshire and North Trent region for engagement in Greener Practice. Fill in the award box in the Green Impact Audit.
In 2019, our inaugural award winners were Richmond Medical Centre.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
Share your ideas
Follow us on twitter to keep up to date with local events and information. @greenerpractice
Share your own initiatives and ideas about how to make General Practice greener.
Lets create a bank of ideas and resources!
#GreenerPractice
Getting Involved
Your First Steps to Climate Action
Learn about your carbon footprint
If you are interested in learning about your carbon footprint and ways to reduce it, here are some links to various carbon footprint quizzes.
80% of fossil fuels need to stay in the ground if we are going to limit climate change to below 1.5 degrees. Divestment means moving investments away from fossil fuels. Many organisations have started to commit to divestment. We are making the case for individuals as well as organisations to divest from fossil fuels towards greener investments. Learn more through our links on the right. Medact and 350.org have information on divestment campaigns on their websites.
Want more information about Divestment?
Divestment
Engaging General Practice in actions for the health of patients and planet