According to the NHS, 4 to 5% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the healthcare system. From excessive plastic packaging of medication to drugs used in anesthesia, there are many ways for hospitals, medical practitioners and patients to move towards greener practices. 

To explore what a sustainable healthcare system could look like, and how we could get there, the University hosted the first Sustainability in Healthcare Conference on 21 March 2026, in University Place. Organised by fourth-year medical students Harshini Suresh and Ashley Thian, with help from a group of medical students and eco champion volunteers, this conference was entirely student-led, with over 60 participants from various disciplines in attendance. 

Panel discussion: sustainability beyond carbon 

Organisers and panel speakers. Back row (left to right): Professor Michael Shaver, Dr Richard Smith, Professor Cliff Shelton, Dr Maggy Fostier, Dame Parveen Kumar. Front row (left to right): Ashley Thian, Harshini Suresh, Dr Nisha Nair, Mithra Suresh.

The conference began with a live panel discussion, where one key message stood out: healthcare should not just be environmentally sustainable, but also financially and socially sustainable. We must beware of drawing resources away from education, transport and other systems that keep communities healthy in the first place. Emerging technologies such as digital appointments seem like promising solutions, but only if they don’t deepen existing health inequalities. 

This led to an emphasis on including patients into these conversations, as they can often spot sustainability issues that professionals overlook. From worries about wasted prescriptions to confusion over what happens to unused medication, their everyday experiences reveal gaps in the current system and point us toward more patient-centred solutions. 

Workshops: sustainability in action 

Following the panel, the conference featured three workshops that gave students the chance to explore sustainable healthcare from a range of perspectives. 

In the first workshop, participants could choose between designing greener first-aid practices in the Green Ward activity or solving sustainability-themed puzzles in the Green Escape Room. 

The second workshop was a roundtable discussion, with three separate groups exploring different themes: 

• Sustainability of AI in Healthcare: a privilege or peril? 
• Dentistry + Global Health: Bridging the gaps of global dental care 
• Medicine: Too hot to ignore: building resilient care systems 

Finally, the conference closed off with a hackathon-style workshop, where participants worked together to tackle sustainability issues in different UK regions.  

Exhibitions: five visions for sustainable healthcare

Boardroom 2036: Policy, Systems & Strategy exhibition.

Between workshops was a two-hour lunch break, giving participants a chance to explore five immersive exhibitions created by students and eco champion volunteers. Each room reimagined a different aspect of healthcare and everyday living: 

• Sustainable Living Room – Telehealth & Digital Twins: exploring how remote care and AI technology could reshape patient support. 
• Sustainable Kitchen – Nutrition & Prevention: highlighting the role of simple daily habits and food substitutions in long-term health and sustainability. 
• Sustainable Bathroom – Diagnostics & Personal Care Tech: showcasing emerging technologies that could transform at-home diagnostics and daily care routines. 
• Clinic of the Future – Infrastructure & Low-Carbon Care: exploring new triage systems that could create greener and more efficient clinical spaces. 
• Boardroom 2036 – Policy, Systems & Strategy: inviting attendees to consider the leadership decisions and system-level changes needed for net zero healthcare systems. 

Some exhibitions even featured their own mini games, customised websites, and interactive tools, creating a museum-like environment that turned complex sustainability ideas into hands-on experiences. 

One of the exhibitors, Emily, reflects below on what it was like to help organise these activities. 

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Behind the scenes, organising the exhibitions took about a month of preparation. The first phase involved research: I worked on the Telehealth and Digital Twins exhibition, so I started with some background reading to get an overview of the topic and brainstorm ideas.  

In the next phase, we got creative. As a team, we designed engaging posters and interactive exhibits based on our theme. The part I worked on was a card-sorting game about sustainable uses of AI, where players sorted different uses of AI in healthcare according to priority. Seeing people play this game was my favourite part of the day – it provoked insightful discussions, and I loved seeing the creative ways that people approached the game.

Overall, organising an exhibition like this was a great chance to meet new people, and a fun approach to a conference. As a PhD student, I’m used to the usual talks and poster presentations at conferences, so it was refreshing to have a chance to think outside the box and design an interactive exhibition.

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Looking ahead 

Overall, the conference was a success, receiving positive feedback from attendees, panel speakers and organisers alike. Through the various activities and discussions, it’s clear that students, staff, and the new generation of healthcare professionals are ready to lead meaningful change in sustainable healthcare.  

Additional information

You can follow the organising team on Instagram: @sustainabilityinhealthcare. Scroll down for a full list of contributors.

To find out more about Environmental Sustainability in FBMH, visit the Faculty’s intranet page, website or contact srbmh@manchester.ac.uk. 

Full list of contributors

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