Planetary health in practice

Sir David Attenborough once said, ‘Saving the planet is no longer just a scientific challenge but a communications challenge.’ As physiotherapists, we are in a position to communicate with thousands of people every year – but how can we ensure we’re saying the right things?

For me, that’s where the Green Heron Award, developed by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and inspired by the Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC), comes in. This award was designed to help students address the crucial question of how to talk about and implement sustainability and planetary health in our future practice.

During my Green Heron research internship, I audited ARU’s MSc physiotherapy (pre-reg) course to assess how well it integrates sustainability. This experience opened my eyes not only to the urgency of addressing planetary health but also to the vast impact these changes will have on the future of physiotherapy. 

According to the UK Health Security Agency, the consequences we face include heat extremes, flooding, poor air quality, allergies, infectious and vector-borne diseases, wildfires, drought, food insecurity, and poor housing conditions. These are all issues we, as physiotherapists, will increasingly need to consider in our practice as they will affect patients and ourselves.

Through this audit, I was introduced to the PHRC, where I now serve as the UK’s regional physiotherapy lead. The PHRC is a student-led initiative aimed at increasing awareness and accountability in healthcare education around planetary health. 

As healthcare professionals, physiotherapists can play a vital role in educating patients about sustainable lifestyle choices and providing evidence-based interventions to support their wellbeing and the planet.

I urge students to become a planetary health champion by completing the PHRC for your course.