Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase (a) patient and (b) clinician awareness of the (i) effect on carbon emissions of inhalers and (ii) range of low carbon inhalers available; and how he plans to measure progress on the increased use of low carbon inhalers in the NHS.

The Sustainable Development Unit (SDU), a joint NHS England and Public Health England unit, has established a cross sector working group on low carbon inhalers. The group includes representation from a number of patient and clinician groups, as well as cross Government representation.

A cross system approach is now being developed into a system wide implementation plan, with specific actions being delivered by individual members of the group. All actions are supporting progress towards or exceed the NHS Long Term Plan commitment on low carbon inhalers. This will contribute to the overall National Health Service commitment in the Long Term Plan to reduce carbon emissions in line with the UK Climate Change Act.

The SDU is also engaging centrally with systematic data collection and data provision systems for clinicians and local system leaders to help ensure that clinical and strategic decision makers are aware how their local area is performing with regards to achieving the national targets in the Long Term Plan and what options are available for them to further reduce the carbon emissions of local prescribing and inhaler waste management practice.