Equipping Integrated Care Systems

to champion clean air

Creating a framework so that the NHS can work with local partners to tackle air pollution at the regional, Integrated Care System (ICS) Level

I am really excited to be working on this project with Global Action Plan. When the Clean Air Hospital Framework was released with Great Ormond Street Hospital, there was nothing else like it and it has been a vital resource to enable hospitals to understand and measure their impact on air quality. When the proposal for the development of an ICS wide framework came forward, I jumped at the chance, and thankfully the ICS CEOs were as keen as me to see this project come to the North East and North Cumbria.

James Dixon, Associate Director Sustainability, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Global Action Plan’s clean air work is driven by our vision of connected, resilient, low carbon communities, where people's health is enhanced by their environment at home and in their local neighbourhood.

Healthcare settings play a big role in communities. Working in partnership with Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundations Trust and Boehringer Ingelheim, we explored opportunities to tackle air pollution at the regional Integrated Care System (ICS) level with partners from across the health system, across primary and secondary care but also with local government.

The ICS Clean Air Framework is a free online tool enabling ICS leaders to take action to secure cleaner air and a healthier future for their region. The Framework can be used to develop a stand-alone Clean Air Action Plan, or to integrate and prioritise clean air actions in a Green Plan.

The ICS Clean Air Framework will help an ICS Net Zero lead to self-assess, track and report progress on each action/requirement towards cleaner air.

Air pollution is an invisible killer, it's essential that we all act on air pollution now. We work with Integrated Care Systems to tackle air pollution in hospitals and the wider healthcare sector.

29 of 42

of the ICSs in England have downloaded and begun their clean air journey with the framework (69%)

Approximately 30% of preventable deaths in England are due to non-communicable diseases which relate to air pollution, putting a significant burden on the NHS. The Integrated Care for Cleaner Air initiative was established to improve air quality and health outcomes across England by supporting every Integrated Care System (ICS) to become a Clean Air Champion.

The ICS Clean Air Framework links to the mandated requirements of Green Plans, NHS Standard Contract and ‘Delivering a Net Zero NHS’ report and builds on from Global Action Plan’s Clean Air Hospital Framework, to tackle the sources and impacts of air pollution at a system level.

As part of this work, we published a report – Understanding the Levers for Change - which provides unprecedented insight into air pollution levels and sources across the North East of England. The report highlights how air pollution is linked to health challenges and inequalities and identifies key opportunities that would be offered by the development of an ICS-focused Action Plan.

Integrated Care for Clean Air: Tackling air pollution across the North East and North Cumbria ICS. Understanding the Levers for change.

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Sign up to and use the ICS Framework online

A video guide to using the ICS Clean Air Framework online tool.

At Boehringer Ingelheim we are committed to improving community health now and for generations to come. The ICS Clean Air Framework aligns seamlessly with our global Sustainable Development for Generations strategy, which in turn has been informed by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

We are proud to be involved in such a pivotal project which aims to improve air quality for millions of people across the North East and North Cumbria, to be contributing to the wider challenge of improving health determinants with the ultimate aim of mitigating health inequalities associated with air quality across the region. Raising awareness and affecting change in air quality will enhance the quality of life for citizens of all ages across the social gradient. There has never been a better time to bring stakeholders across the ICS together and commit to incorporating air quality improvement principles, moving to a ‘Health in All Policies’ approach to improving air quality.

James Bevan, National Policy and Partnerships Manager, Boehringer Ingelheim

The Integrated Care for Cleaner Air initiative has been generated through a partnership between North East and North Cumbria ICS, Global Action Plan and Boehringer Ingelheim.