KYLIE WOOLCOCK Chief Executive AHHA
Creating a sustainable health system Zero Waste Chef Anne Marie Bonneau is quoted as
industries such as health care, ‘…is less about
saying, ‘We don’t need a handful of people doing
inventing ‘things’ and relies more heavily on
zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people
diffusing ideas and adapting business models.
doing it imperfectly.’
But this can be difficult for businesses operating
This resonates, as I reflect on how we address the very real and significant environmental impact of health care. I’m not talking about how we can reduce
… in sectors where government funding and regulation have a heavy influence.’ That diffusion is needed across the largest workforce in Australia. In 2021, the census
emissions by transitioning to renewable energy,
identified the Health Care and Social Assistance
or wastewater management or even energy
sector employed over 1.8 million people, and that
consumption. I’m talking about the strategies to
number is growing.
identify and remove sources of low-value care, to
It’s a workforce that delivers diverse services
reduce admissions and readmissions to resource-
through many public and private organisations
intensive hospitals. The strategies to keep care
— large tertiary hospitals to small private
closer to home and respond to care needs in the
practices — managed and funded through various
regions where health professionals are leaving
Commonwealth, state and territory, local and
because of extreme weather. The strategies
private arrangements.
that will ensure continuity in health care when communities are affected by natural disasters. These strategies require all parts of the system to work together, they require innovation. But as the Productivity Commission identified in their interim report for their 5-yearly inquiry, released last month, innovation in service 4
The Health Advocate • NOVEMBER 2022
It is a system that needs to come together to address both the significant environmental impact of the health system, the consumption of resources and the contribution to emissions, and how we can continue to provide care to those impacted by the effects of climate change.
