Peter Allum
Doctorate
Doctorate Title: Investigating opportunities for sustainability behaviours within Paramedic and Ambulance Service practice
Doctorate Description: This thesis explores and investigates sustainability behaviours of UK ambulance service personnel and how they contribute to a reduce, re-use, recycle (RRR) ethos.
Phase one, a systematic literature review (n=114 studies) explores sustainability in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Phase two phenomenological study explores the role and experiences of NHS ambulance strategic managers (n=6 participants) in England, when implementing their organisational Green Plans. Phase three ethnographical observation explores the sustainability activities, attitudes and behaviours of operational ambulance personnel within two English NHS Ambulance Service Trusts (n= 66 participants).
Phase one findings identified that rising global temperatures, caused by worldwide carbon emissions, will place an amplified demand on EMS, through an increase in morbidity and mortality rates. It also showed a dearth of empiric sustainability research involving UK ambulance services. Phase two findings revealed an insight into the Sustainability Managers’ challenges of implementing sustainability policy, the factors that incentivise change, staff resistance and tactics to overcome it, short-term and long-term aims, and their opinions with future objectives. Phase three observational findings discovered a diversity of sustainability attitudes and behaviours amongst the staff, where three behavioural groups were identified: firstly, those who were already sustainability pro-active, secondly, those who were willing in attitude, but lacked the facilities, resources, support or means to apply behavioural changes in their practice and finally, those yet to be convinced to adjust towards sustainability behaviours.
This thesis provides an original and valuable insight into the sustainability and carbon reduction strategies employed within EMS organisations. Further opportunities may be generated from the findings, which could lead to cost savings across other EMS settings and the wider business communities globally.
Details:
Type: PhD
University: University of Plymouth
Primary Supervisor: Dr Andrew Nichols
Category: Other
Funding:
Start Date: 2014
End Date: 2023
Status: Complete
Thesis
ThesisResearch Interests
EMS Sustainability and carbon reduction management
Publications
Nichols, A and Allum, P (2015) EMS and Waste: a discussion of sustainable EMS waste management. Journal of Paramedic Practice. Vol 7(11) pp 568–571
Richardson, J., Allum, P. and Grose, J. (2016) Can a health and sustainability scenario session change undergraduate paramedic students’ attitudes towards sustainability and climate change? Journal of Paramedic Practice Vol 8 (3) pp130-136
Allum, P. (2018) Special Feature: Sustainability in Paramedic Practice. Paramedic Insight. Vol 4. No.4. p.16-17
Allum, P (2019) ‘Staying green on the scene – why it’s important to lower carbon emissions within the ambulance service’ Sustainable Earth Institute e-bulletin: University of Plymouth. 4 February. Available at: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/pr-opinion/why-its-important-to-lower-carbon-emissions-within-the-ambulance-service
Paramedic PhD is endorsed by:
