Thursday 28 March 2024
 6.8°C   ENE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Climate / Gilbert Bain replacement essential to meet CO2 targets, health board hears

Report recommends new ‘zero carbon’ hospital

Lerwick's Gilbert Bain Hospital. Photo: Shetland News

REPLACING the Gilbert Bain Hospital is a must if NHS Shetland is to meet the Scottish Government’s ambitious climate change target of net-zero by 2045, the health board heard on Friday.

NHS Shetland has been part of a pilot project over the winter as part of the Scotland-wide health service’s plans to reach “net zero” over the next quarter of a century.

Board members received a presentation from NHS Scotland’s head of energy and sustainability Kathryn Dapre.

She said that while NHS Shetland only accounted for 0.3 per cent of the national service’s carbon emissions, the health board does have a “really big impact” on emissions within the islands.

Among the recommendations identified by the pilot project are replacing the Gilbert Bain with a “zero carbon” design.

Other measures put forward include replacing fossil fuel heating with electric sources, using local renewables at rural health centres and replacing NHS Shetland’s transport fleet with electric or hydrogen vehicles.

While some extensions were built more recently, the bulk of the Gilbert Bain was completed in 1961. In autumn 2019 board members commissioned an assessment of the hospital after hearing about the constraints the ageing buildings place on the health service.

“We don’t think decarbonisation of NHS Shetland will work without replacing the Gilbert Bain Hospital,” Dapre said.

She pointed out that, while new MRI and CT scanners would increase NHS Shetland’s energy consumption, it would reduce the need for patients to travel to the mainland and remove the associated emissions.

Her presentation highlighted that if healthcare was a country it would be the fifth largest in the world in terms of carbon emissions.

Dapre said NHS Scotland was producing “world leading figures” having met the 2020 target set by the Scottish Government, with emissions down around 64 per cent since 1990.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

She said climate change had been identified as the biggest global health threat of the twenty first century, and that “still holds true” even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The health service will never be able to reach “completely zero” due to its need to use anaesthetic gases, but a reduction of nearly 90 per cent in emissions against a 2019/20 baseline is viewed as achievable.

Dapre said that poor air quality caused almost 2,000 premature deaths a year, while there is growing awareness of the mental health effects of climate events such as flooding.

Unacceptable levels of fuel poverty – which is substantially higher in the islands than on the Scottish mainland – also cost the health service an estimated £80 million a year, she noted.

“The health benefits associated with zero carbon are huge,” Dapre added.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.