HCWH Europe has this month launched a new network aimed at engaging doctors in our work to create a more sustainable healthcare sector in Europe. Doctors for Greener Healthcare will bring together clinical leaders from across Europe to collaborate, learn, share best practice, and advocate for a healthy future by reducing the environmental impact of healthcare.

In line with the Hippocratic oath to “first, do no harm”, the healthcare sector's mandate is to prevent and cure disease. Yet the delivery of healthcare services can often inadvertently and paradoxically undermine health.

Healthcare professionals have a critical role to play in raising wide-scale awareness of environmental health issues, driving behaviour change within their institutions and communities, and leading the transition to a more sustainable healthcare system globally. As trusted leaders within society, doctors have a unique opportunity to advance sustainable healthcare and influence public policy to better protect the health of their communities from environmental harm.

“Doctors for Greener Healthcare offers a fantastic opportunity for emerging and established clinical leaders to leverage their influence and expertise to advance the growing healthcare sustainability movement. Doctors and other healthcare professionals in Europe now have a mechanism through which they can come together and drive this movement forward. With our support, they will be able to influence public policy to protect the health of their patients and communities.”

- Will Clark, Executive Director - HCWH Europe

Membership of Doctors for Greener Healthcare is open to individual doctors and medical students who are committed to addressing the healthcare sector’s environmental and health impacts and working collaboratively to reduce these.

Members will receive regular updates and sustainable healthcare news, and join an international network of like-minded professionals. As the facilitator of the network, HCWH Europe will provide platforms, guidance, training, tools, and resources to support doctors in taking action and becoming powerful environmental health advocates.

If you are a doctor and would like to join this movement, you can find out more here.