• Keele’s School of Medicine has been ranked as the top performing medical school in the UK in the latest Planetary Health Report Card, with Pharmacy and Physiotherapy also performing strongly; 
• The student-led initiative was launched to encourage climate change and sustainability to be introduced into medical school curricula; 
• The success reflects Keele’s commitment to embedding sustainability across all its curricula and campus operations. 

Continued success 

Keele University’s School of Medicine has been ranked the best in the UK for embedding sustainability into its medical education for the fourth year in a row, with other healthcare schools at Keele also performing strongly in their first year on the table. 

The Planetary Health Report Card scheme was founded by medical students and faculty mentors at the University of California San Francisco's School of Medicine, to track work done by institutions to improve planetary health engagement and to inspire medical schools to focus on the importance of climate change and sustainability in healthcare education. 

The 2024 Report Card places Keele’s School of Medicine as the best in the UK and joint best globally, maintaining its overall “A” grade and improving its overall performance from last year’s assessment. 

Strong performance across the Faculty 

Other healthcare-related schools at Keele have also performed strongly in this year’s ranking, with the School of Pharmacy coming 2nd in the UK and 5th in the world in its first year of entering the scheme, while the School of Allied Health Professions was the only UK university featured in the Physiotherapy table, also in its first time entering, ranking 2nd in the world. 

Professor Christian Mallen, Executive Dean for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Keele, said: “I am thrilled that our commitment to sustainability and planetary health has been recognised by the recent Planetary Health Report Card results. Keele has always had a strong commitment to these areas and have prioritised these topics being at the forefront of the curriculum. What makes these results even more special is that they are student led, demonstrating the passion and enthusiasm of Keele health and care students.” 

Professor Mark Ormerod, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, added: “I’m delighted that Keele’s Medical School has, for the fourth year in succession, been ranked top in the UK, with a further improvement in our overall performance, and the highest grade globally, for embedding sustainability and planetary health in our curriculum and our institutional campus sustainability performance. It’s also fantastic to see Pharmacy and Physiotherapy performing strongly in their first year on the table. 

“The sustained sector-leading and world-leading performance reflects the Medical School’s strong commitment to and success in embedding sustainability and planetary health in its curriculum, and Keele’s wider institutional commitment to embedding sustainability in all aspects of our activities and operations.”