A UHSussex stroke consultant has cycled from Brighton to Liverpool to raise awareness of the effects of air pollution and promote more sustainable ways of travelling.
Bethan Davies, who is also Green Clinical Lead for Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Sussex County Hospital, set off on Thursday 24 November straight from her shift at The County.
She peddled through challenging weather conditions to arrive in Liverpool on the evening of 28 November, where she attended the 2022 UK Stroke Forum to speak about stroke and climate change.
The 447km journey also raised money for Global Action Plan, an environmental charity which focuses on health and in particular air pollution, and Different Strokes, a UK charity which supports young stroke survivors.
Bethan said: “Air pollution affects our health at every stage of our lives. As a stroke doctor I am increasingly aware of the long-term health impacts of air pollution exposure, including the risk of developing stroke, dementia and many other diseases.”
Here at UHSussex, we strive to support staff, patients, carers and communities to live more sustainable lifestyles.
We’re continuing to make huge strides to support our UHSussex Patient First, Planet First, Green Plan, and reach Net Zero Carbon by 2040.
Karen Geoghegan, Chief Financial Officer and Sustainability Lead, said: “As part of our UHSussex Patient First, Planet First Green Plan, we work alongside multidisciplinary colleagues, like Bethan, to make sure environmental sustainability is integrated into all our decision-making processes so we can deliver care in a more environmentally-friendly way.
“We are thrilled that Bethan has safely completed her monumental journey to shine a light on air pollution, while raising awareness of her clinical specialty.”
Read more about our Green Plan.
Follow Bethan’s updates on Twitter @bethanldavies21 and donate to her JustGiving page.