GOSH and Global Action Plan launch the first ever Clean Air Hospital Framework

Today 5 March sees Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH) and Global Action Plan launching the first ever Clean Air Hospital Framework (CAHF), a strategy aimed at improving air quality in and around hospitals in order to create a healthier environment for patients and their families, staff, and the local community.

As part of this the CAHF looks at seven key areas trusts can address including travel, procurement and supply chain, local air quality, and communication and training. It is hoped that the wider NHS community will champion the framework, so patients and communities across the UK can benefit.

The journey to fully implement CAHF will take time and needs a collaborative approach cutting across all hospital departments, however GOSH has already begun to implement quick actions alongside more long-term strategic planning. For example, in the area of communication and training, the hospital has created a clean air learning pack in order to engage clinical staff, patients and contractors in building a clean air culture.

Over the next 12 to 18 months, the hospital is also hoping to introduce a number of measures to improve the environment in and around the hospital, including creating interactive materials for patients, integrating clean air education into the staff induction process, establishing a programme of air quality monitoring, procuring alternative products for soft service needs and introducing CAHF requirements into the hospital tendering process.

GOSH currently treats a number of patients with conditions that are impacted by air quality, including cystic fibrosis, cardiorespiratory conditions, chronic asthma, lung disease and other airway anomalies. As such, the hospital is committed to pioneering solutions that address this emerging environmental health issue.

Speaking of the framework, Matthew Shaw, Chief Executive of GOSH said:

Speaking of the launch Chris Large, Senior Partner at Global Action Plan said:

Access GOSH and Global Action Plan's Clean Air Hospital Framework.