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Norfolk's biggest hospital is to install a new £9m heat pump even though officials say it will cost more to run than the existing heating system. The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital - which is currently making spending cuts to plug a £11m gap in its finances - is to install the device to reduce its carbon emissions. The pumps, which use electricity to extract heat from the air outside to warm buildings, can reduce energy bills in the long term.
However, health bosses say they expect the N&N's new pump to increase running costs. They also plan to keep the existing gas heating system as a back-up. Installation costs for the £9m pump are not being paid for out of the health budget but from a grant from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), after a successful bid by the N&N.
However, the increased running costs will be met by the NHS, raising concerns that they will place further pressure on the hospital's budget - which have already seen bosses place bans on staff ordering pens , among other savings measures. The heat pump is a major part of the N&N's ongoing green plan, which aims to offset its environmental impact. First approved two years ago, the eco-friendly initiative, dubbed 'Greening with PRIDE', aims to drastically reduce the hospital's carbon footprint as part of a national goal to make the NHS net zero by 2045.
Officials calculate the N&N's new heat pump will save 2,900 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. However, they have given less detail about the financial impact and how much the new system will cost to run. They say a "strategic outline case" for the project was being considered and that solar panels will be needed to offset the expected increased costs of the heat pump.
A report which went before the hospital's board of directors read: "A solar panel project will be needed to help offset increased revenue costs of running the heat pump." The report goes on the say that eventually, the "heat decarbonisation" process would save £100,000 per year - but only once combined with other offsetting measures, such as the solar panels. Peter Passingham, of UNISON (Image: Unison) Peter Passingham, regional organiser of the Unison union, said: "The NHS has a huge carbon footprint and it is essential that trusts do everything they can to reduce emissions and protect the planet.
"Climate change and ill-health are two sides of the same coin - fossil fuels are damaging to the planet and our lung and more heatwaves means more people in A&E. "But while we applaud the Norfolk and Norwich for combatting the climate crisis, it is important that patient care does not suffer in the here and now through any cuts to staffing. "Capital investment needs to set the NHS on a green, sustainable footing in the long term.
" Although the grant has already been awarded, details are not due to be finalised until the summer. A hospital spokesman said: "We are pleased to have been successful with a government grant that will reduce our carbon footprint and support the national goal of making the NHS net zero by 2045. "We hope to share more details on this project later in the year when details are finalised.
" A DESNZ spokesman said: “We are helping hospitals across the country save hundreds on their energy bills and switch to clean power, with solar panels and heat pumps. "We are providing over £1 billion of funding over three years to fund hundreds of local energy schemes to decarbonise public buildings and help them access clean, affordable power." Other green initiatives The hospital's green plan includes a raft of targets and initiatives which aim to limit the hospital's environmental impact.
These include: The board of directors heard that one approach being considered was re-ordering patient menus by offering vegetarian options first - rather than last. Ellen Goodwin, sustainability manager at the hospital, said: "With around four percent of the country's carbon emissions, the NHS has an essential role to play in meeting net zero plans. "Our current estimate suggests that our carbon footprint is still increasing, although our efficiency is improving.
"We are embedding and adapting the way we work to be more informed and responsible consumers.".
