Ethnographical research of sustainability amongst ambulance staff
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An ethnographical study of sustainability attitudes and behaviour amongst NHS Ambulance staff
IRAS ID
236324
Contact name
Peter Allum
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Plymouth
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, days
Research summary
There is a growing expectation that the NHS can provide a major contribution in reducing carbon emissions within the UK. The NHS accounts for 25% of all public sector carbon emissions (or around 4% of total emissions) in England. The scale of this sector’s activities indicates that it does have a key impact on the environment and is under increasing pressure to adopt strategies for change.
Ambulance Trusts can significantly help towards meeting these NHS targets and are overtly making declarations of organisational intent through implementing corporate Sustainable Development Management Plans (SDMPs).
Within these SDMPs, strategies are being developed to monitor, audit and make changes in areas such as sustainable (low carbon) procurement and transportation; diminutions of energy, fuel, water consumption; and improved waste disposal with greater emphasis on recycling.
However, there is a dearth of empirical research into sustainability activities within the UK connected to ambulance service activities, leaving a void in information about the EMS contribution towards reducing the carbon footprint of the NHS. This research will investigate the current awareness, attitudes, behaviour and knowledge of operational NHS ambulance staff through ethnographic methods in their personal approach to sustainability.
The data generated by this research will provide valuable insights into what sustainability activities are used amongst the ambulance workforce, whether Trust SDMP systems and processes are being followed and the attitudes of staff towards sustainability policy implementation.
This will lead to an evaluation and identification of existing strategies and any need for potential redesign, in order to lessen energy and resources consumption; ease transit of waste and reduce overall waste production, with the potential of reducing costs. The research findings could provide insight into motivational techniques for sustainability behaviour adoption in other ambulance or EMS services within the UK or internationally. This study will later feed into a larger research project (PhD)
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NW/0356
Date of REC Opinion
16 May 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion