SPIRE Parkway Hospital in Solihull has launched a major drive to become carbon neutral by 2030, with a package of environmental measures.
The most ambitious of these is the installation of a new chilling system for the hospital’s four operating theatres and day care unit.
The previous chillers pumped heat out as waste into the atmosphere, but heat generated by the new units will be recycled and used to heat water in the hospital.
This will reduce the need for the hospital to use gas-burning boilers for heating, which in turn is expected to reduce the hospital’s carbon usage.
The project constitutes a £500,000 investment by Spire Healthcare and began in the autumn and will come fully into use in early spring.
A number of other environmental projects have already been put in place at the hospital:
Previously, gas burners and salad coolers in the kitchen were left on during the day, but they are now only switched on when needed.
Lighting is being replaced by more energy efficient LED bulbs.
The hospital, along with Spire’s other 39 hospitals across the UK, is now procuring all its electricity from renewable sources.
A member of the hospital’s finance team, Kelly Andrews, has been appointed as its carbon champion responsible for identifying potential new projects and encouraging staff to think about what they can do to reduce carbon usage.
Hospital director Charlotte Swami said: “At Spire, we’re determined to play our part in addressing the climate crisis.
“We’re pleased that the new chillers and our other environmental projects will enable us to make inroads into reducing our carbon footprint.
“But the work doesn’t stop here. We want now to build on the enthusiasm of our colleagues for doing things differently, in a greener way, and continue to think of new ways that we can reduce our impact on the planet.”
