ABSTRACT
Background: There is increasing evidence that particulate matter (PM) in air (air pollution) is associated with ill health, hospital admission and all-cause mortality. The main source of PM in Western countries is road transport. The aim of this study was to examine the potential carbon footprint of clinics at a district general hospital. Method: A 2-week period at the start of September 2019 was evaluated to calculate the distance patients travelled to clinic compared with the distance to their GP. Distance was calculated using the fastest direct car route between the postcode of the GP and the postcode of the patient's home address. Due to the local geography and transport links, train travel was not considered feasible. Results: 202 patients travelled a combined distance of 1,625 miles to be seen in clinic. The mean distance between the clinic and the patient's home was 8.0 miles, compared with 2.2 miles between patients' homes and their GP. 163 patients were seen in clinic in Kettering General Hospital and 39 in peripheral clinics. Conclusions: Coming to hospital for an appointment has led to 404 more road journeys. Including the return journey, the 3,250 miles travelled is more than driving from Kettering to Baghdad. The study was limited as it was assumed that all patients would be traveling from their home address. While for some patients and some conditions this journey is unavoidable, wider options like increasing the number of virtual clinics and care offered closer to home would help further reduce the carbon footprint. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, all clinics have been converted to virtual clinics where possible. The change in practice has demonstrated that, for many patients, virtual consultations can be appropriate. There is a plan to maintain as many virtual clinics as possible in post-COVID practice.