East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust has been awarded a government grant of over £1 million to install energy efficient LED lighting in every ward, theatre, clinic and office at its Lister Hospital site in Stevenage.
All fluorescent bulbs across the hospital site (roughly 20,000 light fittings) will be switched to LEDs over the next month, having a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions and cutting energy costs. LED lights consume around half the amount of electricity compared to conventional fluorescent lighting and create a much better light quality for patients, visitors and staff.
Karen McConnell, deputy chair of East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust said:
“We’re delighted to have been successful in securing a grant to carry out this important work thanks to the fantastic efforts of our sustainability team. One of several projects we’re progressing to decarbonise our hospital sites, this is an important step forward in working towards a greener, more sustainable Trust. As a provider of healthcare and a large employer in the local area we take our responsibility seriously.”
The grant of £1.1 million was awarded to the Trust by the NHS National Energy Efficiency Fund (NEEF) which aims to reduce NHS estate operating costs by investing in selected energy efficiency projects and then reinvesting any savings back into frontline care.
In addition to the LED lighting installation the Trust is working on a number of sustainability projects as part of their Green Plan. This includes new waste management plans, implementation of a sustainable alternative to disposable, single-use sharps containers, switching the internal vehicle fleet to electric and expansion of the electric vehicle charger programme for staff.
Further information about the National Energy Efficiency Fund can be found on their website.
