Hospitals top energy efficiency league

Four NHS trusts have come joint top of a league of more than 2,000 organisations for energy efficiency performance.

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital, labelled it a “tremendous achievement”. The other three were Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Out of 2,106 organisations ranked, the four came joint first – along with 18 other organisations, including Manchester United Football Club, CenterParcs, the Department of Energy and Climate Change and energy regulator Ofgem.

Publication of the league table by the Environment Agency has been welcomed by Dr Vall Rasaratnam, Colchester trust’s energy and sustainability manager, who said: “This is the result of a number of years of energy-saving initiatives which have involved many staff.

“In April, we became only the second NHS trust to be presented by Carbon Saver Ltd with the Carbon Saver Gold Standard for reducing our carbon emissions over a three-year period.

“As an important organisation in the local community, we are committed to doing our bit to improve the environment. In addition, a tax is being introduced for carbon emissions from April next year so the more we can reduce our level of emissions the less we pay, allowing more resources to be directed to health care.”

It is planning to provide more recycling facilities and further transform its energy consumption, water usage, green travel and sustainable procurement policies.

It has already replaced conventional lighting with LED lighting, converted its main steam boilers at Colchester General Hospital from heavy fuel oil to natural gas, and subsidies bus travel for staff.