SMASH Introduction
Vision for SMaSH
An active public health network incorporating a wide range of partners, will maximise health and equity by addressing the urgent challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability, working collaboratively to lead, innovate and motivate change across NHS systems.
Aims
- a forum for sharing information between individuals and organisations across Scotland;
- opportunities to encourage and coordinate good/innovative practice; and
- opportunities to highlight the role the NHS has to play in sustainable energy and resource use, reductions in environmental vulnerability, and realising the potential for health co-benefits.
Specifically, the network will identify key tasks, resources, means and mechanisms to fulfil its remit, evaluating, disseminating and generating a continuous programme of activity to fulfil its ultimate objective of making the NHS sustainable, in so doing ensuring the improvement of health and the reduction of health inequalities during the transition to sustainability.
Current activity
Current activity is centred round developing specific tasks for the network to progress the sustainable health agenda. These derive from the long term activities described in the logic models which formed the basis of discussion at the launch event. These have been described as:
- Reduction in carbon output
- Reduction in fossil fuel use
- Sustainability of the societal systems that maintain health
These activities should not be undertaken at the expense of greater equity (social, economic, environmental) or improved health outcomes and reduced health inequities. The Logic Models, Workplan and Terms of Reference can be found under ‘Documents’.