General practice in a ‘Fit for the Future’, net zero NHS

The UK’s Government’s Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England1 is an ambitions and far-reaching blueprint for reforming the National Health Service (NHS). Among its core commitments is the transformation of the NHS into a sustainable, prevention-oriented, community-based service. Notably, the plan reaffirms the NHS’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2040 for directly controlled emissions and by 2045 for those it can influence, in line with the Delivering a ‘net zero’ National Health Service report.2 These climate targets, while critical, must not remain theoretical commitments. They require operational clarity and translational implementation, especially in primary care, where the majority of patient contacts occur,3 and were preventative, low-carbon care can be delivered at scale.4