Embracing Sustainability: A New Design Principle for NHS Digital

The National Health Service, commonly known as the NHS, is the healthcare system in the United Kingdom that receives public funding. Its primary objective is to provide accessible healthcare services to all residents of the United Kingdom, regardless of their ability to pay. The NHS is committed to ensuring the well-being of the population and recognizes that climate change can have a direct impact on public health. In response to this, it has implemented new digital design principles that prioritize sustainability,aiming to achieve 'net zero' carbon emissions by 2040 for the emissions it directly controls.

This organization recognizes that addressing sustainability is crucial due to the health and environmental risks posed by climate change. The adoption of digital technology contributes to their carbon footprint through factors such as energy consumption, data transmission and storage, and electronic equipment disposal and recycling. To address this, the NHS established a sustainability working group to incorporate sustainability into the service design process. The group identified four key problem are as for integrating sustainability into the design process:

1.- Guidance

2.- Process and tools

3.- Measuring impact

4.- Senior leadership support.

The NHS digital design team created a new design principle, "Design to protect the environment," which focuses on environmental sustainability and encourages designers to consider the environmental impact of their designs. The principle aims to minimize negative effects and maximize positive outcomes by reusing code and components, reducing energy and resource consumption, optimizing server infrastructure, and exploring the potential environmental benefits of accessible and inclusive digital products and services. By adopting this principle, the NHS design community can ensure that their digital offerings are not only effective and efficient but also sustainable in the long run.

In conclusion, the creation of a new design principle focused on environmental sustainability is a significant step taken by the NHS digital design team. This commitment reflects the NHS's dedication to working sustainably and reducing its overall impact.

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