Joint RCR/AXREM Sustainability Working Group

The Climate Crisis is the biggest threat to health and wellbeing in human history. Climate change and the extreme weather associated with it have significant detrimental effect on people’s health and wellbeing. In the UK, healthcare itself forms 4-5% of the entire carbon footprint of the UK, creating a vicious cycle. This has been recognised by the NHS, which aims to be net zero by 2040.  

The Joint Sustainability Working Group exists to reduce the environmental impact of radiology and clinical oncology across the UK and internationally. Through education, policy development, and cross-sector collaboration, including with AXREM, the group supports the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and its members in becoming leading advocates and sustainable healthcare practice.

• Support the NHS in delivering and communicating evidence-based guidance and resources to improve the environmental performance of their departments, in alignment with NHS Net Zero targets.
• Promote the integration of sustainability principles across all radiology and oncology areas of the NHS and wider healthcare. 

General healthcare:

• The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change - Carbon Literacy Guide 
• The Lancet Countdown: Tracking the connections between public health and climate change
• Centre for Sustainable Healthcare website 
• Greener NHS website  and its net-zero commitments
• Greener trials 
• Greener Pharmacy Toolkit 
• Greener Palliative Care Award 
• RCP Green Physician Toolkit 
• Sustainability resources for each specialty 

Radiology:

• Medical imaging - Greener NHS Knowledge Hub – Futures
• Why We Should, and How We Can, Reduce the Climate Toxicity of Cancer Care 
• Sustainability in radiology: position paper and call to action from ACR, AOSR, ASR, CAR, CIR, ESR, ESRNM, ISR, IS3R, RANZCR, and RSNA 
• Green Imaging Department (ID) - ESR | European Society of Radiology 

Oncology:

• Members of the group representing oncology have, with the support of the RCR, launched a green Radiotherapy Framework which aims to help inform departments of actions they can take to reduce their environmental impact. More information can be found here.
• Ten top tips for turning your radiotherapy department green 
• A national framework for moving towards more environmentally sustainable radiotherapy: the green radiotherapy framework 

For more information on the group please contact: Michael Jackson on [email protected]