Serving the fastest growing population in the UK in the last decade – which is due to grow by another 25% over the next 20 years – requires collaboration to address the wider factors that influence the health, prosperity and future happiness of the vibrant and diverse local communities. 

As is the case with many industries, the healthcare sector is becoming more attuned to the impact of the environment and sustainability on the health and wellbeing of the communities they serve. 

BLMK ICB has been working for some years towards its ambition of becoming more environmentally sustainable and reaching net zero, and is now transitioning from sustainability as a fringe activity to a way of working which incorporates sustainability at its core.  

The Integrated Care Board is co-ordinating a refreshed Green Plan for the wider Integrated Care System (ICS), which is due to be approved by the summer, weaving health and wellbeing into the fabric of the ICS’s journey together towards a more environmentally sustainable system across community and hospital-based health care services.  

Becoming a Corporate Partner of IEMA is a key part of that journey, supporting a culture which enables people, both in the workforce and the wider local population, to take individual and collective action to achieve the vision of a sustainable health and care system. 

Dr Tim Simmance, Associate Director of Sustainability and Growth at BLMK ICB said: “IEMA is known as a world leader in supporting the move towards a more environmentally sustainable and net zero society. 

“The expertise and experience they bring, along with a global cross-sector network, will give us the opportunity to step up our activities. Their recent support at a BLMK system seminar to refresh the ICS Green Plan created a buzz among the participants. Partnering with IEMA will mean we can harness this energy, demonstrate our shared commitment to the same goal, and support all providers in the local system in their transition to greater sustainability.” 

Through Corporate Partnership with IEMA, the ICB hopes to build on its commitment to net zero and environmental improvement, with enthusiastic individuals already undertaking action on sustainability eager to continue the momentum. 

IEMA’s network of Corporate Partners and experts across a range of environmental and sustainability disciplines will help the ICS to further develop the knowledge, skills and drive of its workplaces, and take a step-change towards creating an environmentally sustainable health and care system – one where the environment is an equal consideration with other factors that influence health. 

BLMK’s first goal in the partnership is to create the internal critical mass of the workforce with the skills to drive sustainability initiatives at the front line, using their knowledge of the services to not only reduce emissions and waste, but to support improvements to patient experience, healthcare outcomes, and efficiency at the same time.  

Sarah Mukherjee MBE, CEO of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, said: “Health, wellbeing and sustainability all go hand in hand, so it’s imperative that healthcare organisations across the UK are embedding sustainability into their day-to-day operations. 

“The environment around us has such a huge impact on our health and wellbeing, from the food we eat to the availability of local green spaces, not to mention the impact of things like air pollution on our physical health. In doing our bit to address climate change, we’re also having a positive impact on human health, which is why it’s brilliant to have NHS organisations on board with IEMA to create change. 

“IEMA is looking forward to working with Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board to drive up awareness of sustainability across the whole organisation, which is so important to ensuring that organisations can meet their sustainability and net zero goals at every opportunity and level, while improving patient experience and outcomes for the local communities it serves.” 

About Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Health and Care Partnership 

The Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board is responsible for planning the delivery of health care for a population of one million people across four diverse local authority areas – Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.

Our aim is simple. We want everyone who lives in our city, towns, villages and communities to live a longer, healthier life. Our strategic priorities are set out below.

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes support two million jobs locally and we are one of the fastest growing economies in England, contributing £110bn to the UK economy.

We represent a diverse population, with 47% of residents in Luton coming from an ethnic minority background and while there is affluence in the more rural communities of Central Bedfordshire, some of our wards are amongst the most deprived in the country.