Ambulance service receives prestigious award for carbon emission reduction

The prestigious award is only granted to a limited number of organisations across the UK, and recognises the Trust’s achievement of meeting Carbon Saver’s three environmental certificates: Carbon Saver Gold Certificate, Water Saver Gold Certificate, and Waste Saver Gold Certificate.

In 2023/24, the ambulance service’s emergency crews and patient transport service completed over 770,000 journeys to the regions hospitals and primary care providers. In total, the service operates over 450 vehicles across the Trust and responds to the regions 2.7 million people, spanning over 3,200 miles.

Since it’s Sustainability Action Plan and Green Plan launched in 2021, the service has embarked on several projects to reduce its environmental impact, headed by its environmental sustainability and facilities manager, Martin Gibson. On the importance of the service’s sustainability work, he said: “I’m really proud of the work we’ve been able to do since I joined the service in 2022. So far, we’ve made massive strides towards helping future proof the service’s estate whilst also decarbonising the energy we us in our buildings, reducing carbon emissions, and saving the NHS money.

“The cumulative impact of the projects that we’ve embarked on already have helped us reduce our carbon emissions by more than 60% which is an incredible achievement.

“I look forward to continuing our work and helping ensure that we can provide sustainable healthcare to all of our patients, now and in the future.”

Overall, the ambulance service was found to have reduced their carbon emissions by 7.4% in the past year; 2.4% more than forecasted in its Sustainability Action Plan.

Some of the projects the service has undertaken since 2022 include:

• Air source heat pumps at Backworth, Seaham, Bishop Auckland, Gateshead, Hartlepool, and Morpeth Ambulance stations which have helped the service take steps towards its net zero by 2040 target by eliminating the need for gas on each station
• A 128kW battery storage system at Ashington station which has helped reduce electricity consumption on station by approximately 50%
• Solar panels at Morpeth, Wallsend, Blucher, and Hartlepool South stations which are anticipated to save the Trust £30k per year in energy costs

Last year, the service partnered with Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue Service and Northumbria Police to open the UK’s first ever carbon-neutral tri-station in Hebburn, South Tyneside. The site was built with environmentally-friendly ground source heat pumps, electric vehicle (EV) charging points, e-cycle storage and charging facilities, and a wildflower meadow to support local biodiversity.

The service also teamed up with NHS colleagues at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle Hospitals on a no-idling campaign to reduce the number of harmful emissions created by ambulances at hospital.

As part of the project, ambulance crews at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH), the Freeman Hospital, and the Royal Victoria Infirmary were encouraged to turn off their engines whilst using the hospital’s ambulance bays.

NEAS director of finance and digital, Tarryn Lake, oversees the Trust’s estates and sustainability teams. On receiving the certificate, she said: “Climate change is now viewed as one of the leading threats to the health and wellbeing of millions of people across the world. As a healthcare service, it’s our responsibility to do our bit to combat it and the minimise its impact on our region.

“Receiving this certificate is indicative of our ongoing commitment to creating a more environmentally sustainable service, and demonstrates the incredible work our estates and sustainability teams have done over the past year.

“I am very proud of the work that our service has done, but it doesn’t stop here. We will continue to do all that we can to make the North East Ambulance Service a leader in sustainability within the NHS, and ensure that the North East’s patients are healthy and safe for generations to come.”