Tuesday 22 April, 2025 is Earth Day. We explore how the environmental crisis impacts our service and how we can mitigate our own impact.
Although our aircraft are integral to our lifesaving service, and – as yet – there is no accessible, sustainable and affordable alternative to the fuel needed to fly, as an organisation, we recognise there are a great many reasons to care about climate. Not least the direct impact climate collapse has on our patients and on the care we provide.
The climate crisis is a real health crisis
The climate crisis is not just an environmental issue; it is a significant health crisis. As an organisation that serves the entire county of Devon and surrounding areas, we respond to hundreds of calls for time-critical care each year.
Today, we are 30% busier than before the pandemic, and the demands on our medical, paramedic, and support teams are extraordinary. These demands are not going to diminish in the face of climate challenges.
Weather extremes and patient care
Our crews bring time-critical care to diverse locations, including rural villages, agricultural settings, cities, towns, coastlines, and remote moorland. We encounter all sorts of challenging terrain and weather conditions. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events due to climate breakdown present more regular challenges for both our patients and our crew. Cluster storms, flooding, and even snowfall and their seasonal unpredictability increase the demand on our aircraft as land emergency vehicles may struggle to reach patients. Periods of extreme heat affect the weight our aircraft can carry, sometimes obliging us to leave a crew member at the scene to accommodate changes in payload.
Impact on patient health
Diminished air quality due to pollution has a documented impact on patient health, while temperature extremes can influence how well our patients respond to treatment. Environmental conditions can increase the spread of infectious diseases, potentially putting our crew at risk. If too many members of our crew fall ill, then we have no service. The psychological impact of extreme weather, such as flooding, is also well established. Those who have lost homes to flooding can be traumatic, while more people than ever are experiencing what has been termed ‘climate anxiety.’
While we recognise the extent of that challenge, and the near-term and future risks of climate change for Devon, we look forward to rising to it and engaging the communities we serve in our progress.
Jonathan Osmond, Head of Facilities and Risk.
Impact on our crew
Our crew is not exempt from these impacts, and their wellbeing is crucial. Higher temperatures influence their physical wellbeing as they must wear very thick specialist fire-retardant garments and carry heavy gear – particularly challenging in sustained hot weather. While the health impact of climate breakdown is broadly understood, the strain on the NHS is felt by our service too.
Though we are a charity that is 100% independent of government funding, our service has become measurably more in demand in recent years, while immense strain is being placed on our under-resourced public health service. The provision the NHS can offer is stretched further still by patients who might be suffering the impact of extreme cold during times of the ongoing energy affordability crisis – a product of enviro-political and economic forces.
Our commitment to sustainability
Being environmentally sustainable and ensuring our own resilience in the face of more frequent environmental and political shocks means we can be there for our patients, now and into the future.
What are we doing to minimise our own impact?
In 2020 we signed the Devon Climate Emergency Declaration. We have also tracked our journey towards developing our Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship commitment to date.
