Borrowing from our children, or stealing from them?

David Pencheon I was standing next to one of the most senior health care managers in the UK recently when he again professed his admiration for the BMJ as the best journal for health care managers.  It was at the launch of the Carbon Reduction Strategy for the NHS in England.  Whenever I see a wealthy person on a bike or on a bus I know there is hope for the future.  But when I see the same senior health care manager standing shoulder to shoulder with the Chief Executive of the NHS and in the company of the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, with the CEO saying that this “a very important strategy for the NHS, my view is that it is really good for the environment, it’s good for our society, it’s good for our staff and for us most importantly it’s good for our patients” I REALLY have hope.

Remember people: the credit crunch is a worrying example of how much we are able to borrow from our children, but climate change might be considered as worrying example of how much we can steal from them…

This week has seen some real leadership in England from health service leaders – we all need to build on that leadership to show we can deliver….