Publish date: 23 June 2025
Northumbria Healthcare secures more than £20 million to cut carbon emissions at three major hospitals
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded more than £20 million in government funding to drive forward its mission to reduce its environmental impact and contribute to a greener future.
This significant investment will fund a major heat decarbonisation projects across three key hospital sites—The Northumbria Hospital in Cramlington, Hexham General Hospital, and Wansbeck General Hospital. Central to the project is the replacement of outdated steam heating systems with state-of-the-art, energy-efficient heat pumps.
Northumbria Healthcare is one of just nine public sector organisations - and one of only three NHS trusts in the North East to receive funding through this initiative. The new systems are expected to deliver annual carbon savings of 4,465 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e), which is the equivalent of 15,546 return journeys from Lands End to John O’Groats.
Heat pumps are highly efficient electric appliances that transfer and intensify heat from the outside air, a source of water or ground into a building. As they do not use gas or oil, they are a more sustainable and efficient alternative.
Birju Bartoli, chief executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This project marks a significant milestone for us and stands as a powerful demonstration of our commitment to the Net Zero Northumbria agenda.
“We are making long-term investments in our estates and facilities with sustainability at the core—both through the design of new buildings and the improvement of existing infrastructure.
Environmental factors can impact health and wellbeing, which is why sustainability is one of the six pillars of Our Community Promise—our commitment to addressing the wider determinants of health.”
This latest initiative follows the successful completion of a similar decarbonisation project at North Tyneside General Hospital, completed in December 2023. That project involved installing large-scale heat pumps, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, and replacing the hospital’s steam heating system. The work was delivered through the Strategic Energy and Asset Management (SEAM) Framework—a streamlined procurement route for public sector organisations to implement energy-efficient technologies and practices quickly and cost-effectively.
Damon Kent, managing director of Northumbria healthcare Facilities Management, added:
“We’re thrilled to receive this funding for such a critical project. Over the past three years, we've made significant investments to support our goal of achieving net zero by 2040. This initiative will be instrumental in helping us reach that target.”
The trust is also advancing several other sustainability efforts. These include a 'No Idling' campaign to reduce emissions from stationary vehicles in staff and public car parks, and a partnership with local environmental organisation Climate Action North to enhance green spaces across five hospital sites. These initiatives aim to create more biodiverse, welcoming environments for both people and wildlife.