8 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2025IN MY OPINIONSustainable healthcare is more than just emissions By Lucy Brown, Head of Sustainability, Circle Health GroupHealthcare will always have a carbon footprint. But there is more to sustainability than just emissions. The change in our climate represents one the greatest threats to global health. As temperatures rise, our patients, some of the most vulnerable in society, will become the most affected. So, how do we manage delivering exceptional care with ensuring a sustainable future for our sector? SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE Recent findings show that the healthcare sector contributes 4 percent to the UK's overall carbon emissions. But emissions are not the whole story. From heatwaves to increased air pollution, our changing climate is now leading to as many as 40,000 people in the UK dying prematurely each year. Air pollution is causing an increase in respiratory conditions, cancers and strokes. We haven't even begun to scratch the surface on what living through these traumatic changes is doing to the physical and mental health of patients and healthcare professionals. Focusing on the conversation just on emissions is not enough. Lucy Brown joined Circle Health Group in September 2024. She is a registered children's nurse and an award-winning senior clinical leader, having held a number of director of nursing posts. She has an MSc in critical care nursing specialising in paediatrics and received the Dorothy Clarke award for her thesis on reducing barotrauma in intubated paediatric intensive care patients. Lucy now leads sustainability for Circle Health Group and its UK wide hospital network.Lucy Brown
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