Dr John Harden, Deputy National Clinical Director, has taken over as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the sustainable care workstream following the departure of Professor Jason Leitch.
Sustainable Care is one of eight priority workstreams that make up the NHSScotland Sustainability Action Programme.
John will also represent Scottish Government on the National Green Theatres Programme Board.
In taking over the role, John said:
“The incredible work being delivered under the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy is a key component to improving patient experience of care and population health.
“We know that climate change is having the greatest impact on the most vulnerable people in our society, particularly infants, children and the elderly. Environmental sustainability must then be a key pillar of how we shape better health for people living and working in Scotland.”
John has worked in Scottish Government since 2016, initially as the National Clinical Lead for Quality and Safety. In the early part of the pandemic he was Senior Medical Advisor to the Chief Medical Officer and was later appointed Deputy National Clinical Director in October 2020.
In his current role he supports John Burns, the Chief Operating Officer of NHSScotland, and the wider senior team responsible for the NHSScotland. John continues to work as an Emergency Medicine consultant at University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire every Thursday. His special interest areas are Paediatric Emergency Medicine and Resuscitation.