Spire Gatwick Park Hospital’s £1.1m investment in race to go carbon neutral and upgrade facilities

• Spire Gatwick Park Hospital is delivering a package of environmental measures as part of a major drive to become carbon neutral by 2030

Spire Gatwick Park Hospital has invested in a new chiller system to service its operating theatres, recovery area, day care, sterile services department and public areas within the hospital to ensure patients are comfortable during their visit. The previous chillers pumped heat out as waste into the atmosphere, but heat generated by the new chiller units will be reclaimed and used to heat water in the hospital. This investment has reduced the need for the hospital to use gas-burning boilers for heating hot water, which will reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint.

The project to install the chiller units began in Autumn 2023 and constitutes £715,000 of the latest investment into Spire Gatwick Park Hospital. The new chiller system was craned into place over the hospital roof resulting in the hospital being required to seek permission from neighbouring Gatwick Airport.

Spire Gatwick Park Hospital's new chiller being lifted into place by crane

Newly installed chiller units at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital are one part of the planned £1.1m investment to meet its carbon neutral target by 2030. Other environmental initiatives at the hospital include replacing all lighting with energy efficient LED fittings and appointing a Carbon Champion responsible for identifying potential new projects, and encouraging colleagues to think about what they can do to reduce carbon usage. Solar technology is also due to be installed at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital this year.

New chiller at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital reducing the hospital's carbon footprint

These environmental projects are in addition to an on-going refurbishment at the hospital. A further £200,000 has been spent on installing new lifts and upgrading the flooring in theatres, with plans to replace more flooring in the X-ray and Ultrasound Suite. The main reception and Physiotherapy Department will also be renovated to improve patient experience.

Jayne Cassidy, Hospital Director at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital, said: “Busy and complex hospitals consume a lot of energy, so at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital we’re committed to reducing our impact on the environment wherever we can. We’re pleased that our new chillers and the other environmental projects at our hospital are making inroads into reducing our carbon footprint.

“But the work doesn’t stop here. We want to build on the enthusiasm of our colleagues for addressing our environmental impact, and continue to think of ways we can do things differently, to reduce our emissions further.”

In 2020, Spire Healthcare launched a group-wide sustainability strategy, designed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 31 December 2030. It was the first independent sector hospital provider to make such a commitment, and £16m of investment over the next 10 years has been ring-fenced to help achieve this aim across the UK.