Underwood Surgery is pleased to be signed up to the Green Impact for Health Toolkit and is actively taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint. Over the past year we have made changes which have resulted in us achieving a silver award and next year, we will be working towards the gold award. The climate emergency is also a health emergency, and health care in the UK contributes 4-5% of the UK’s carbon emissions.

We need to enhance the health of today’s population without compromising the health of future generations, and this means operating within the sustainable boundaries of the planet. Fortunately, most of the solutions for the planet also make our health better – for example eating a mainly plant-based diet, engaging in active travel and exercise in nature, avoiding smoking, reducing pollution etc. These all enhance our health and reduce our need for medications, with further benefits to the NHS, your health and the carbon footprint of healthcare.