NHS leaders are being encouraged to integrate planning into the earliest stages of decarbonisation projects to maximise the benefits of more than £816 million in government funding available through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).
Planning and development consultancy Lichfields says early engagement will be critical as NHS trusts accelerate programmes to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining essential healthcare services across complex operational estates.
Around half of the Phase 4 PSDS funding, which supports projects between 2025/26 and 2027/28, has been allocated to NHS organisations. The investment will help trusts install technologies including heat pumps, solar PV systems, lower-carbon heating infrastructure and electric vehicle charging facilities as part of the NHS’s ambition to become the world’s first net zero health service for the emissions it directly controls by 2040.
However, Jonathan Standen, Planning Director at Lichfields, said successful delivery will depend on developing planning strategies alongside technical design and funding applications.
“Funding through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is giving NHS trusts the opportunity to make significant progress in modernising their estates,” he said. “But many hospital sites are operational around the clock, with complex planning considerations that need to be addressed early to keep projects on track.”
Standen added that identifying the appropriate planning route, engaging with local planning authorities and understanding site-specific constraints at an early stage can significantly reduce delays once projects move into delivery.
Lichfields is currently advising contractor Dalkia on decarbonisation schemes at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which has secured almost £20 million to upgrade heating systems across Wansbeck, Cramlington and Hexham hospitals.
At Wansbeck General Hospital, proposals include an innovative ground-source heat pump system that will utilise warm water from historic coal workings beneath the site, demonstrating how former industrial infrastructure can support modern low-carbon healthcare estates.
Lichfields previously supported a £22 million carbon reduction programme at North Tyneside Hospital, where heat pumps, upgraded boilers and a large-scale solar PV installation are estimated to reduce annual carbon emissions by around 3,470 tonnes while delivering approximately £500,000 in yearly energy savings.
As more NHS trusts move from securing funding to delivering projects, the consultancy believes close collaboration between estates teams, technical specialists, delivery partners and planning authorities will be essential to ensure decarbonisation programmes are completed efficiently while minimising disruption to frontline healthcare services.
Photo by Karollyne Videira Hubert on Unsplash
