GPs encouraged to help cut carbon emissions
A new NHS strategy is encouraging GPs to increase the number of phone and email consultations in a bid to cut carbon emissions.
The carbon reduction strategy was introduced to try to cut the organisation’s carbon footprint by 10 per cent by 2015.
One push is on reducing unnecessary journeys to GP surgeries. The strategy recommends that a much greater number of doctors should conduct telephone or online consultations where possible, therefore indirectly reducing emissions.
Dr David Pencheon, Director of the NHS Sustainable Development Centre, who compiled the report, said: “The NHS has been moving in this direction over the last 10 years with services like NHS direct.
"A lot of people go to their GP just for reassurance and there are some practices where GPs allocate an hour a day for telephone consultations. We would like to see this become a lot more common."
Westfield Health offers a 24-hour GP telephone consultation benefit on most of its health cash plans.
The service enables policyholders and their resident family members to speak to a qualified UK GP at a convenient time, even if they are temporarily overseas.
As the GPs take into account personal medical history, they are in many cases able to provide a diagnosis of symptoms and recommend an appropriate course of action.
For more information on the Advantage Health Cash Plan, please visit:
http://www.westfieldhealth.com/corporate-health-plans/advantage/index.asp
For more information on the Good4you Health Cash Plan, please visit:
http://www.westfieldhealth.com/individual-health-plans/health-cash-plan.asp
For more information on the Foresight Health Cash Plan, please visit:
http://www.westfieldhealth.com/corporate-health-plans/foresight/index.asp
For more information on the Chamber Primary Health Plan, please visit:
http://www.westfieldhealth.com/corporate-health-plans/chamber/index.asp
Reference
* http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=23&storycode=4121702&c=2
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