June 17, 2022 9:03 am Published by

Yeovil Hospital is embarking on a multi-million pound programme of work to help it become carbon-neutral whilst improving its site for patients and staff.

The Trust has received just under £10m from SALIX finance as part of the Government’s public sector decarbonisation scheme.

The Trust put in a bid to SALIX with support from the Carbon Energy fund and Veolia for the funding to help it reduce its carbon footprint and play a part in tackling climate change.

The funding will enable the Trust to focus on five different projects which will help reduce carbon emissions.

Projects:

  1. The Trust will be replacing one of our combined heat and power (CHP) units with an air heat source pump. The hospital has two CHP units so replacing one of them will significantly reduce gas emissions and therefore our carbon emissions. An air heat source pump is a low carbon unit that uses the air to generate heat.
  2. A brand new power supply will be put into the site which in the future will allow us to become a fully electric site.
  3. All windows on the south side of the hospital and women’s hospital will also be replaced. Currently these windows are only single glazed units. They will be replaced with doubled glazed reflective units which will not only make the building more energy efficient it will also significantly reduce noise and glare for patients helping to improve their hospital stay. This was trialled on one ward in the Trust last year and improved the experience for our patients, making the space warmer in the Winter and cooler in the Summer. It also reduced noise levels from the main road and the wind.
  4. Lighting throughout the Trust will also be replaced with LED lighting. LED lights are significantly more energy efficient and last longer, therefore more cost efficient.
  5. Our Building Management System will be replaced with a new updated unit. The new unit will be more efficient. A Building Management System controls ventilation, heating, and the cooling of a building.

Peter Lewis, Chief Executive of Yeovil Hospital said: “We are really pleased to have received this funding from Salix Finance. This money gives us the means to make our buildings more environmentally friendly and will significantly reduce our carbon emissions. Works are already underway and completion is planned for all projects by March 2023. The NHS has a big part to play in achieving a more sustainable environment for our future generations and we are excited to continue working towards a carbon neutral NHS target here at Yeovil Hospital.”

Yeovil Hospital estimates that these projects will reduce its carbon footprint by 1,230 tonnes per year.

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