Scotland’s medical schools secure £100,000 to embed sustainable healthcare in education

The University of St Andrews is leading a landmark national initiative to integrate sustainable healthcare education across all undergraduate medical programmes in Scotland, following a £100,000 grant from the Scottish Government.

The funding, secured through the Scottish Sustainable Healthcare Education Board (SSHEB) will support the appointment of a Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellow. Based at St Andrews, the Fellow will coordinate work across Scotland’s five medical schools to embed principles of environmentally sustainable healthcare into curricula, aligning medical education with NHS Scotland climate commitments and Scotland’s national target of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.

All five Scottish medical schools – University of St Andrews, University of Glasgow, University of Dundee, University of Aberdeen and University of Edinburgh – are core members of SSHEB and are contributing to this coordinated national programme.

The initiative builds on a major white paper led by St Andrews and launched at a parliamentary reception in Holyrood in February: A ‘Once for Scotland’ Approach to Embed Sustainable Healthcare Education in the Undergraduate Medical Training, supported by the European Network on Climate and Health Education (ENCHE). The paper outlines a unified, cross-institutional strategy to prepare future doctors to respond to the health impacts of climate change while delivering high-quality, environmentally responsible care.

Gareth Miles, Assistant Vice Principal, Dean of Science at St Andrews, said: “This work shows that, by coming together, Scotland’s universities can lead with clarity and purpose. The white paper sets out a coherent national framework, the first of its kind in Scottish medical education, for embedding sustainable healthcare in undergraduate medical education. This strongly reflects the University of St Andrews’ strategic commitment to sustainability by linking high-quality teaching with national responsibility and long‑term impact.”

The white paper was authored by Jonathan Issberner, Professor of Medicine at the University of St Andrews and Chair of SSHEB, with contributions from colleagues across all five medical schools.

Professor Issberner said: “This marks the beginning of a genuinely national programme led from St Andrews to place Scotland at the forefront of sustainable medical education. By bringing medical schools together with key partners, we are creating a coherent, system-wide approach that links education, healthcare delivery and national priorities.”

The Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellow will work closely with academic and clinical partners to implement the paper’s recommendations, develop shared teaching resources, and ensure alignment of curricula across institutions.

Dean of Medicine at St Andrews, Professor Deborah Williamson, said: “Embedding sustainable healthcare into medical education is both a responsibility and an opportunity. This national programme demonstrates what can be achieved when medical schools work together with shared purpose, and it reinforces our collective commitment to preparing graduates who can meet the health challenges of today and the future.”

Iain McInnes, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow and co-chair of ENCHE, added: “As the co-chair of ENCHE, I am delighted that we were able to support Scotland’s medical schools to achieve this significant investment. It will contribute further to embedding education for sustainable healthcare nationally and highlights the leadership role medical education is taking in responding to the climate emergency.”

The Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellow is expected to take up post in August 2026, marking the next phase of this ambitious national programme.