Public Voices Unveil Health, Environment Win-Win Challenges
Study questions simplicity of policymakers’ ‘co-benefits’ approach
The UK public broadly supports efforts to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare, but some fear that environmental arguments could be used to justify cost-cutting or service reductions, shows a new study.
It means the popular policy framing of ‘co-benefits’-where environmental and health gains are achieved simultaneously-may be more complicated than policymakers assume.
Researchers from King’s College London and the University of Oxford held 12 focus groups with 82 participants across the UK, exploring perceptions of healthcare’s environmental harms and co-benefits strategies.
According to lead author Dr Garbielle Samuel, participants welcomed strategies that reduce waste, prevent illness, and promote holistic care, but expressed scepticism about government motives.
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/public-voices-reveal-complexities-in-selling-health-and-environment-win-wins