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NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has published its first Green Plan focusing on decarbonising the NHS estate, supporting customers in their transition to net zero, and helping the NHS adapt to mitigate the impact of climate change.
The NHSPS Green Plan forms part of the organisation’s wider ‘Delivering a Greener NHS’ programme, which aims to achieve NHS England’s ambition for a net zero carbon NHS by 2040. It sets out NHSPS’ targets for the next three years and is divided into eight deliverables:
- Workforce and leadership
- Sustainable models of care
- Digital transformation
- Transport and travel
- Estates and facilities
- Supply chain and procurement
- Adaptation and biodiversity
- Responsible landlord
NHSPS said: “As the estates manager of over 3,000 NHS properties, caring for six million patients daily, NHSPS plays a vital role in achieving NHS England’s ambition for a net zero NHS by 2040. Additionally, all four UK health services have recently committed to becoming net zero by 2050 through the COP26 Health Programme, aligning with the Government’s ambition set out in its Build Back Greener strategy.”
NHSPS added that “developing efficient, sustainable buildings that are fit for the future is a critical part of NHSPS’ strategy”. NHSPS will be opening its new Devizes Health Centre in Wiltshire to patients this summer. The centre will be leading the field in sustainable design as one of the first ‘Net Zero’ health facilities across England. It will utilise green technology, such as heat pumps and solar panels to generate electricity and heat to serve the building, therefore reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Since 2019, NHSPS has already made great strides in reducing its environmental footprint. It has decreased carbon footprint by 30 per cent and saved the NHS £23 million in associated costs – money that is reinvested back into the NHS. The organisation has also, amongst other activities, shifted to 100 per cent renewable electricity and established a strategy to minimise waste to landfill, with more than 99 per cent now being diverted from landfill.
Cameron Hawkins, Head of Energy and Environment for NHSPS said: “The relationship between our health and our environment are inherently linked. It is vital that sustainability values are embedded in everything the NHS does, so that together we can improve the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve.
“We have already made tremendous progress in decarbonising the NHS Estate, and this bold, ambitious Green Plan will build on those successes and take our Greener NHS ambition to the next level. As owners of a large part of the NHS estate, we are in the unique position where we can make a substantial contribution to NHS England’s 2040 net zero targets.”
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