£8 million for chargepoints on NHS premises

The NHS is to receive £8 million from the government to help decarbonise its fleet by installing new chargepoints.

After the Royal Mail, the NHS has the largest fleet in the country, with over 20,000 vehicles travelling more than 460 million miles each year.

The funding was awarded through the government’s £63 million investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, and is expected to save the NHS £130 million over the next 25 years. The investment will be felt across 62 NHS trusts and around 224 sites, and will generate a return on investment in only four years.

This comes as air pollution continues to contribute to around 36,000 deaths in the UK, affecting the most vulnerable in our communities, and is why the NHS has committed to operating a fully electric fleet by 2040.

Tracy Nicholls, chief executive of The College of Paramedicss, said: “The College of Paramedics warmly welcomes the government’s funding agreement to fund over 1,200 new EV chargers at NHS sites. This is a vital step forward in supporting ambulance services to operate more sustainably, in line with our commitment as members of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change and our collective focus on meaningful change to reduce the impact of air pollution on our patients and communities. By supporting ambulance services to move to electric vehicles, we not only reduce emissions and improve air quality, but also save money. We urge the government to maintain this funding long-term to ensure the UK ambulance sector can continue its essential transition to greener, more sustainable fleets.”

Anna Parry, managing director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) said: “This £3.5 million investment in electric vehicle chargepoints across all ten NHS ambulance trusts is a timely and positive step toward a more sustainable NHS, as outlined in the government’s 10-Year Health Plan.

“In some parts of the country electric ambulances and response cars have already been successfully tried and tested, showing how transitioning the ambulance fleet to electric vehicles could significantly reduce exposure to air pollution for patients and communities, while also offering long-term savings that can be reinvested to enhance patient care.”