Doctors should talk to patients about climate change, say health leaders
Doctors should start talking to patients about climate change, health leaders have said.
A new green toolkit produced by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) tells its members that they are “uniquely placed” to raise the issue in consultations and that they should “repeat it often”.
The guidance, which is can be found on the Royal College’s website, also tells doctors to work from home on non-clinical shifts and offer remote consultations “where clinically appropriate” to cut emissions from commuting.
They should remain alert to “eco-distress”, depression or anxiety a patient may be suffering because of the changing climate, the document adds.
Critics branded the guidance, which is 11 pages long, “virtue signalling” and warned it could lead to diagnoses being missed.
In an online forum on the website Pulse Today, one commenter said: “This casual advice spun out from organisations with niche interests seeking to influence clinical decision making has real consequences in the real world and some of it might not be anticipated.
“We need to reduce carbon emissions but trying to influence clinicians into not doing stuff that they might otherwise have done is not appropriate.
“Predominantly virtue signalling I fear with zero danger of any blame for the stuff that might be missed.”
Another called the advice “downright dangerous” and suggested following it could lead to career ruin for some doctors.
A third commenter asked “is this some sort of parody?”
The RCP, which represents around 40,000 doctors worldwide, also called on its members to send more texts and emails to patients to reduce traffic pollution, energy use and printing costs.
Doctors are also urged to cut down on “unnecessary” prescribing and blood testing.
Prof Ramesh Arasaradnam, of the RCP, told The Daily Mail: “The need to act has never been more urgent and we hope that our green physician toolkit will support the physician community with small steps that can make a difference.
“It can of course be challenging to prioritise sustainability at a time when there is very high demand for clinical care, but we have to keep in mind that reducing climate change and its health impacts is part of reduced pressure on the NHS in the long-term.”