Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and East Of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust are expected to achieve lifetime savings of £1.9m, or an average £63,200 per year.

Jonathan Guppy, head of sustainability at the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘This is a hugely important milestone for the trust as we take tangible steps to cut our energy costs and carbon footprint, and release more money to spend directly on patient care.

‘The installation at Winchester & Eastleigh is already making a real difference and is just the beginning of a wider programme of work that will deliver long-term environmental and financial benefits across our estate.'

In March, the Government announced a £100m plan to install solar panels for nearly 200 NHS sites, covering a third of NHS trusts.

The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of £1.4bn that has more than doubled since 2019. 

The new solar panels are expected to save the NHS £8.6m every year once all the projects are completed. 

Estimates suggest that on average, NHS sites could save up to £45,000 a year.

Chief executive of NHS Providers, Daniel Elkeles, said: ‘Spiralling energy costs have landed NHS trusts with huge energy bills- more than £1.4bn since 2019. It's great news then that the first five NHS sites are now generating their own solar power with savings going back into local NHS services.

‘This is good for patients, good for the environment and good for taxpayers.'