Somerset Integrated Care System: Adapting the NHS to Climate Change

Lead Organisation

Sustainability West Midlands (SWM)

Project Delivery team: Morgan Roberts (Project Manager), Louis March-Smith (Project and Data Officer), Alan Carr (Climate Change Adaptation Lead)

Customers

Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB), Somerset Foundation Trust (SFT)

Overview

In recognition that the NHS needs to be able to adapt to climate change to help reduce the impacts on health and healthcare delivery, Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) commissioned SWM to develop a climate change adaptation plan, in line with their commitment to publishing and delivering a system Adaptation Plan as per their Green Plan 2025.

The objectives of this project were:

• To build an understanding of the risks to public health and NHS service delivery in the Somerset Integrated Care System (ICS) and existing adaptation activities in the region.
• To provide an adaptation action plan for addressing these risks.
• To build momentum and give strategic direction to climate adaptation in the ICS.

Outputs

Through extensive engagement and research, the following outputs were delivered:

• The main resource: A Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Somerset ICS, summarising the biggest risks and the highest priority adaptation actions produced for this project.
• An Evidence Report, including the detailed results from the climate projections and impact analysis carried out during the project, the full risk assessment, and a methodology for the project.
• The full Adaptation Plan in spreadsheet format, with further information and guidance on each action.
• The full Risk Assessment in spreadsheet format.

Hyperlinks to the adaptation plan will be included above when published.

By way of stakeholder engagement, SWM:

• Ran a workshop focusing on Digital risks and impacts associated with climate change in January 2025 to support the Greener Digital project Somerset ICB were delivering in partnership with NHS England prior to this project.
• Ran an online workshop with around 20 stakeholders to introduce the importance of climate adaptation and to hear how they have been impacted by severe weather and what they believe needs to be done to effectively adapt to climate change.
• Conducted ~15 one-to-one online meetings with various stakeholders both internal to the ICB and SFT and from other organisations to ask in-depth questions about climate adaptation, by way of a follow-up to the workshop.
• Ran an online survey alongside the above to capture the views of any stakeholders who were not able to attend a one-to-one meeting.
• Held a launch meeting for a Somerset ICS Climate Adaptation Working Group, gaining feedback on a draft Terms of Reference and establishing responsibilities and next steps for delivering the adaptation plan.
• Ran a consultation phase to provide stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback to a first draft of the final Adaptation Plan.