Outdated steam heating systems will be replaced with state-of-the-art, energy-efficient heat pumps at The Northumbria Hospital in Cramlington, Hexham General Hospital and Wansbeck General Hospital.

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.'

 Northumbria Healthcare was one of just nine public sector organisations - and one of only three NHS trusts in the North East - to receive funding through the initiative.

It followed the completion of a similar decarbonisation project at North Tyneside General Hospital in December 2023, which involved installing large-scale heat pumps, solar photovoltaic panels and replacing the hospital's steam heating system.

The work was delivered through the Strategic Energy and Asset Management  Framework—a streamlined procurement route for public sector organisations to implement energy-efficient technologies and practices quickly and cost-effectively.