Cheshire and Merseyside
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Introduction
The Cheshire and Merseyside Greener Practice group started in April 2021. We provide peer support for primary health care staff to promote planetary health and improve the sustainability of their practices and a forum where we can share ideas and experiences. We also work to spread awareness of sustainable care to the wider primary care community. Some successes so far include attracting funding to do a wide range of projects at ICB and PCN levels (not all have external funding) to develop green spaces in health centres, deprescribing, asthma care, low carb programmes, healthy walks, setting up green groups in practices, submitting Green Impact for Health Toolkits, setting up Green Banking, etc.
We would be delighted to hear from you if you have an idea of what to set up, want to work on a Network PLUS project, or need any guidance with where to start with a green project (or to continue having started on something green!)
Leadership
Chair: Dr.Nadja van Ginneken
Nadja van Ginneken is a General Practitioner with an academic background, working in an inner city practice in Liverpool, UK. She is Deputy Research Lead across the North West Coast and encourages practices to take part in research projects that address health needs and redress health inequalities affecting Central Liverpool’s diverse, seldom-heard populations. Nadja is also Environmental Sustainability Lead to the network of 10 Central Liverpool GP practices and co-chair of Cheshire and Merseyside Greener Practice, and runs projects at both network- and regional/ICB-levels to implement the Primary Care Green Plan. Projects include for example decarbonising GP practices, deprescribing, greener respiratory care, air pollution, green social prescribing, setting up practice-based gardens. I am happy to support and be contacted about any ideas.
How we work
We meet on an ad-hoc basis via zoom or face to face (informed via whatsapp and email), and are a friendly and welcoming group. Any member of the primary care team is welcome.
Local case studies:
Vauxhall Health Centre’s garden project: A weekly gardening group, growing fresh produce and making tasty meals, creating habitat to increase biodiversity and much more!
The 2025 Sustainability Award: Cheshire and Merseyside Greener Practice, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, Central Liverpool Primary Care Network, Vauxhall Health Centre and Brownlow Health. You can read more here.
Sign up to join this group
If you would like to sign up to this group, please become a network member. There is no cost to this level of membership.
