Funding awarded to NCH&C for new electric vehicle chargers
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) has been awarded £92,184 as part of the NHS Chargepoint Accelerator scheme. The money will pay for the hardware and installation of 22 charge points at sites across the Trust, which will be provided specifically for NHS owned or leased vehicles.
The funding is part of the NHS Chargepoint Accelerator Scheme-a combined effort from the Department of Transport and the Department for Health and Social Care.
Investing in electrical chargepoints will deliver reductions in fuel and maintenance costs that can be redirected into front line care. This investment will deliver savings of £130 million for the NHS over the next 25 years, with an estimated average return on investment in just four years.
The wider social benefits from reduce emissions and improved air quality are valued at a further £93million. NCH&C will save £65k a year once its full fleet of vehicles is electric from 2029.
Angie Moodie, Chief Finance and Resources Officer at NCH&C said: "This funding announcement is great news and will ultimately benefit our service users with cost savings redirected to the front line. The investment also supports our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our activities and deliver sustainable healthcare."
The NHS has already implemented hundreds of projects that reduce emissions and drive significant cost savings, all while improving patient care. This new £8 million investment, across 62 NHS Trusts and around 224 sites, supports the renewed commitment in the government's 10 Year Health Plan to deliver a more sustainable NHS while also helping hospitals to save millions on fuel and maintenance costs and reducing air pollution. These savings can be reinvested directly into frontline care, ensuring the NHS continues to deliver for our patients and communities.