1058 “A Survey of Medical Students’ Attitudes Towards Sustainable Healthcare”

Abstract Aim With the climate crisis becoming increasingly prevalent, there is growing emphasis on environmental sustainability. The healthcare sector (a significant contributor to environmental impact) is particularly of interest: sustainable healthcare and environmental awareness within the NHS is crucial. Despite this, few medical schools include environmental teaching in their curricula. We undertook this survey to assess environmental awareness and perspectives amongst medical students. Method An online questionnaire was distributed to London medical students. Participants were asked demographic data, questions concerning the environmental impact of products and practices in the NHS, and suggested methods to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare. Results 87% of students stated that the environmental impact of healthcare is of concern to them, 97% agreed that the environmental impact of products should be considered during development. 65% agreed that the environmental impact of a product should influence its use, but 95% agreed that a device being recyclable/reusable would influence their practice. Students felt the factor most negatively impacting the environmental burden of healthcare was ‘disposable plastic items’, mentioned in 57% of responses, and ‘general waste’ in 44%. Conclusions A significant majority of medical students find healthcare's environmental impact a concern to them and express a desire to choose the most sustainable options. Whilst the distribution of academic year and the London demographic limited this study, we believe it is the first survey of its kind assessing medical student's attitudes towards the environmental impact of healthcare. With this initial benchmark, we hope that future surveys aim to assess and improve the environmental awareness of doctors in training, as well as the inclusion of environmental teaching in medical school.