New partnership to support NHS decarbonisation

The partnership was soft launched as part of a roundtable, chaired by former Secretary of State for Health and Chair of the NHS Confederation, Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell. Speaking at the event, representatives from NHS England as well as local NHS Trusts maintained that at their core hospitals are “another place where people gather” – like restaurants and hotels – and that the health sector should be taking lessons from other industries as it works towards the NHS’ goal to reach net zero carbon emissions under its direct control by 2040.

The roundtable highlighted the need for Trusts to invest in data collection and share experiences to understand what changes will have the most impact and ensure they are getting the “biggest bang for their buck”, with one attendee noting that organisations will need to be prepared to have increased operational costs if they want to reduce their emissions. It also explored the opportunity for NHS Trusts to act as sustainability leaders in their local communities, for example using their vast buying power to influence the behaviours of local suppliers to minimise their carbon footprint.

Bonnie Chu, Healthcare Design Director at Wates Group, said: “Existing NHS estates are more challenging to decarbonise than new build facilities and will be crucial in helping the NHS reach their ambitious net zero targets. As an industry however, we need to take a step back and take a holistic approach to simplify the opportunities available, using our experiences from other sectors be that hospitality through to education and applying them to a healthcare setting. This exciting new partnership aims to actively work with Trusts to develop solutions which can transform their estates so that they are sustainable and fit for a net-zero future.”

Mike Booth, Director and Healthcare Business Lead at Arup, said: “Work undertaken to identify and address carbon emissions across the NHS has highlighted the challenges existing healthcare facilities face. Significant maintenance issues, historic infrastructure and buildings and a lack of capital all hamper the NHS’s net zero carbon ambition. At Arup we bring together consultancy and design expertise to produce highly sustainable environments for clients across all sectors. We are thrilled to be part of this new partnership, working with Trusts to overcome these challenges and take effective, efficient, steps towards decarbonisation.”