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Chimbganda, Sibonile (2025) Integrating Sustainability into Irish Healthcare: An Examination of Strategies, Organisational Obstacles, and Exemplary Practices for Systemic Transformation. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.
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Abstract
Sustainability in healthcare has transitioned from a marginal issue to a strategic necessity, caused by increasing climate responsibilities, surging operating costs, and the pressing demand for good health systems. In Ireland, these constraints are made worse by the structural intricacies of a dual public-private sector, old infrastructure, and limited long-term investment cycles. Although the Health Service Executive’s (HSE) Climate Action Strategy 2022-2050 outlines ambitious decarbonisation and resource efficiency objectives, implementing these commitments into systemic practice is a significant challenge. This research critically analyses how Irish healthcare organisations conceptualise, integrate and maintain environmental and social responsibility within operational and therapeutic frameworks. This study employs a qualitative technique, including semi-structured interviews with hospital leaders, sustainability officers, and clinical stakeholders from both public and private sectors. The analysis integrates concepts from organisational behaviour, environmental science, and health policies to examine the relationship between leadership, workforce engagement, policy alignment, and infrastructure limitations. Findings indicates that although instances of innovation such as circular procurement, energy efficient infrastructure enhancements, and decreased gas emissions exhibit quantifiable advantages, widespread implementation is obstructed by limited finances, cultural resistance, and irregular policy enforcement. The study underscores the critical importance of transformative leadership and focused staff participation in integrating sustainability, as well as the need for comprehensive measurement frameworks that assess environmental, economic, social and health outcomes. The study indicates that attaining sustainable healthcare in Ireland necessitates a coordinated, multi-tiered plan that reconciles legislative aspirations with operational realities. Recommendations encompass, the integration of environmental key performance indicators into governance frameworks, the enhancement of sector-wide collaboration among public and commercial entities, and the alignment of procurement practices with EU green standards. The research emphasised the essential connection between public health and planetary health by positioning sustainability as fundamental to patient care promoting a proactive, evidence-based strategy for future healthcare reform.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Supervisors: | Name Email -, - UNSPECIFIED |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > Economics > Business R Medicine > Healthcare Industry G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography > Sustainability |
| Divisions: | School of Business (- 2025) > Master of Business Administration |
| Depositing User: | Tamara Malone |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Jan 2026 12:28 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Jan 2026 12:28 |
| URI: | https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/9072 |
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