Green Health Wales launches with new website and rebrand

An all-Wales network for professionals and organisations to make health and care services “climate smart” has had a significant rebrand.

Green Health Wales, which launched its new website on Monday, August 21, wants to bring together like-minded people who recognise that the climate and ecological emergency is also a health emergency.

Some 4.4% of global carbon emissions are attributed to health and care. In Wales there are legally binding targets to deliver the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, and an ambition for the public sector, including health and social care, to be collectively net zero carbon by 2030. 

Green Health Wales seeks to ensure healthcare in Wales is delivered in a way that maximises positive health outcomes and avoids both financial waste and harmful environmental impacts, while adding social value at every opportunity. The network acts as an anchor for sustainable health and care development.   

The new website provides the opportunity for healthcare professionals to connect with others who are taking sustainable action, by location or speciality. Site visitors can also learn more about the climate emergency from a collection of resources and read stories that capture the transformation already occurring in Wales. Those who wish to can sign up and become members of Green Health Wales to receive regular, tailored information straight to their inbox.  

The rebrand has been delivered to further establish the aims and vision of Green Health Wales. The logo focuses on the three main aspects:   

• Connect: dots. These represent the network of healthcare professionals needed to create sustainable change.  

• Learn: leaves. In order to play an active role in limiting global temperature rise, we need to learn about the climate emergency, we need to grow and adapt.  

• Transform: circle. People protect the planet. Planet protects people. Stories have a cyclical effect, they inspire and create further change.  

This relaunch builds upon the important work already undertaken by the founding members: Dr Tom Downs and Dr Gwenllian Rhys, two foundation doctors along with pharmacist Yasmina Hamdaoui, led a group of staff at their workplace in Ysbyty Gwynedd to create a Green Group at the hospital. 

Alongside this, Dr Fiona Brennan, a consultant anaesthetist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, working to bring key sustainable changes to clinical practice connected with the first leadership fellow in sustainable healthcare, dentist Dr Amarantha Fennell-Wells, and the idea of a network for sustainable healthcare in Wales was born.   

Dr Sarah Williams, co-founder of the GP led Greener Practice Wales network, and her colleague Dr Stacey Harris paediatrician and Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellow in Sustainable Healthcare, was supported by the Bevan Commission to connect with Tom, Gwen, Fiona and Amarantha to support the growth and development of Green Health Wales.  

Sarah Wiliams said: “Together, Stacey and I have worked with like-minded colleagues to put Green Health Wales on the map, linking the whole of the NHS in Wales, Welsh Government and a system of functioning sustainability networks.”

Green Health Wales is passionate about empowering all healthcare staff with knowledge about the climate crisis and its impact on healthcare and have delivered numerous learning events to healthcare organisations across Wales. 

As the ever-growing team builds on its foundations, it hopes to increase learning around this issue and create a workforce who are inspired to deliver transformative action within their role in healthcare, spreading innovative sustainable practice across the country to deliver a climate smart NHS in Wales.  

Anyone interested in becoming a part of the network or would like to learn more can sign up at https://greenhealthwales.co.uk/contact/ 

To celebrate the launch of greenhealthwales.co.uk there is a chance to win a Welsh Water Adventure worth £100 including:

• Paddleboard, kayak or canoe session for 4 adults (or adults and children
  age 6 and over) at a choice of Llandegfedd Lake or Llys-y-frân Lake.

• Dates: Any time subject to availability during opening hours 7 days a week
  between 1st September and October 31st.

To enter, simply sign up to become a member of Green Health Wales at greenhealthwales.co.uk/contact. Competition closes on August 31.