To explore what a sustainable healthcare system could look like, and how we could get there,\u00a0the University\u00a0hosted the first\u00a0Sustainability in Healthcare Conference\u00a0<\/b>on 21 March 2026, in University Place.\u00a0Organised\u00a0by\u00a0fourth-year medical students\u00a0Harshini Suresh\u00a0and Ashley Thian, with help from a group of medical students and eco champion volunteers, this conference was\u00a0entirely student-led,\u00a0with over\u00a060\u00a0participants\u00a0from various disciplines\u00a0in attendance.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p><\/div>\n 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.\u00a0We must beware of drawing resources away from education,\u00a0transport\u00a0and other systems that keep communities healthy in the first place.\u00a0Emerging technologies such as digital appointments seem like promising solutions, but only if they\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0deepen existing health inequalities.\u00a0<\/p>\n This led to an emphasis on\u00a0including patients into these conversations, as they can often spot sustainability issues that professionals overlook.\u00a0From worries about wasted prescriptions to confusion over what happens to unused medication, their everyday experiences\u00a0reveal gaps in the current system\u00a0and\u00a0point us toward more patient-centred\u00a0solutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following the panel, the conference featured three workshops\u00a0that gave students the\u00a0chance to explore\u00a0sustainable\u00a0healthcare from a range of perspectives.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the first workshop, participants could choose between\u00a0designing\u00a0greener first-aid practices\u00a0in the\u00a0Green Ward\u00a0activity or<\/b>\u00a0solving sustainability-themed puzzles in the\u00a0Green Escape Room.<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n The second workshop was a\u00a0roundtable discussion<\/b>, with three separate groups exploring different themes:\u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, the conference closed off with a hackathon-style workshop, where participants worked\u00a0together to\u00a0tackle sustainability issues in different UK regions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Boardroom 2036: Policy, Systems & Strategy exhibition.<\/p><\/div>\n Between workshops was a two-hour lunch break, giving participants a chance to explore five\u00a0immersive\u00a0exhibitions\u00a0created by\u00a0students and eco champion volunteers. Each room\u00a0reimagined a different aspect of healthcare and everyday living:\u00a0<\/p>\n Some exhibitions\u00a0even featured their own mini games, customised websites, and\u00a0interactive\u00a0tools, creating a museum-like environment\u00a0that turned complex sustainability ideas into\u00a0hands-on experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the exhibitors, Emily, reflects below on what it was like to help organise\u00a0these activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n –\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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,\u00a0I’m\u00a0used to the usual talks and poster presentations at conferences,\u00a0so\u00a0it was refreshing to have a chance to\u00a0think outside the box\u00a0and design an interactive exhibition.<\/p>\n –\u00a0<\/p>\n Overall, the conference was a success, receiving positive feedback from attendees, panel\u00a0speakers\u00a0and organisers alike. Through the various activities and discussions,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0clear that students, staff, and the new generation of healthcare professionals are ready to lead meaningful change in sustainable healthcare.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n You can follow the organising team on Instagram:\u00a0@sustainabilityinhealthcare<\/a>. Scroll down for a full list of contributors.<\/p>\n To find out more about Environmental Sustainability in FBMH, visit the\u00a0Faculty\u2019s\u00a0intranet page<\/a>,\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0or contact\u00a0srbmh@manchester.ac.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column_inner type=”1_2″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n Committee members<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Panel members<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][et_pb_column_inner type=”1_2″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n Exhibits<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_post_nav _builder_version=”3.0.106″ in_same_term=”off” show_prev=”on” show_next=”on” prev_text=”Previous” next_text=”Next” locked=”off” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”3.0.106″ show_avatar=”on” show_reply=”on” show_count=”on” background_layout=”light” header_font_size_tablet=”51″ header_line_height_tablet=”2″ custom_button=”on” button_icon_placement=”right” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_use_icon=”off” locked=”off” parent_locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover=”null” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover=”null” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Related posts” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ background_layout=”light” locked=”off” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\nPanel discussion: sustainability beyond\u00a0carbon\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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Workshops: sustainability in action\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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Exhibitions:\u00a0five\u00a0visions for sustainable healthcare<\/h3>\n
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Looking ahead\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Additional information<\/h3>\n
Full list of contributors<\/h4>\n
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Related<\/h1>\n
Related posts:<\/h3>