Environmental champions network
With increasing focus around sustainability and the environmental implications of healthcare and our clinical practice, the environmental champions network aims to maintain links and facilitate communications between members and the Association on these important matters.
The Association undertakes many important initiatives which have a profound influence on the way anaesthetists practice. To be effective these require continuing participation and input from all members. The environmental champions network will help coordinate local participation and implantation of our national initiatives.
Becoming an environmental champion
We are looking for at least one anaesthetist to volunteer from every hospital in the UK & Ireland. If you are interested in supporting your department in this role please download this application form and send it to [email protected].
Find your nearest environmental champion
The environmental champions network is a vital link in the sustainability chain for the Association of Anaesthetists. This network provides communication between the Association and its members on sustainability matters. The creation of this map is the next tool in networking, to allow individuals to find other sustainability champions in local trusts.
Networking is an important tool in the sustainability challenge facing us and healthcare. Irrespective of your grade and where you are around the world, join the network and become a point of contact to share ideas and collaborate on sustainable projects in your hospital.
Environmental champions charter
This sets out the basis for the relationship between the environmental champions and the Association of Anaesthetists.
The Association will:
- Keep champions regularly informed about network projects and the activity of the Environment and Sustainability Committee (via e-newsletters)
- Provide champions with suitable promotional materials for educational events, national campaign days (such as Sustainability Day and Clean Air Day) and for other purposes as may occur from time to time
- Be responsive in a timely manner to requests from champions for information and advice
- Invite champions to attend (virtually) environment sessions at our major meetings, whenever possible
The Association recognises that there are often others, such as trainees and supporting anaesthetic staff, who are involved in data collection for larger projects. Whilst they will not be named as the environmental champion we encourage such team work and will recognise contributions made by all staff to this network by means of an official letter of thanks.
Champions will:
- Be a current member of the Association
- Provide an up-to-date email address which is checked regularly
- Aim to attend an environment session at one of our major meetings (virtually, or in person), each year (when available)
- Respond to requests for, and be responsible for collection and submission of, data from your hospital that has been requested by the Association to collate a national dataset for sustainability topics and feed results back to your department
- Respond to local members queries and concerns around the environment and sustainability and where appropriate pass them on to the Association
- Help to raise the profile of the environmental and sustainability work of the Association by dissemination of information from us in relation to national campaigns (such as Sustainability Day and Clean Air Day) and educational events from the Association
- Keep the Environment and Sustainability Committee informed of local ideas, progress and examples of sustainable projects that have been successfully embedded in your department and when possible use these to populate case studies on the environment section of our web pages
- Ensure that the role of environment champion is self-sustaining and establish the next champion within your Trust before stepping down and notify the Association of the change
There may be a need for more than one champion within your Trust/Board depending on how the department is organised. If you feel this to be the case, please get in touch with us to discuss further.
The Environment and Sustainability Committee does not have specific funding for environmental champions and the work performed by them. The Association hugely appreciates work undertaken by the champions and to show our thanks we will arrange complimentary virtual attendance to the environment sessions at our major congresses (when available) via live webinar/streaming. We also send a letter which can be used as portfolio evidence.