Funding awarded to boost hospital energy efficiency
28 May 2026
Hot water pipework
Oxford University Hospitals has been awarded government funding to help improve the performance and efficiency of the energy systems used to heat and cool its hospital buildings.
The funding, from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and as part of the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme, will support a 'heat network optimisation study' at the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals in Oxford.
The work builds on recent investment through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), which has transformed the Trust's energy infrastructure at the Horton General Hospital in Banbury and is ongoing at the John Radcliffe.
This investment has included replacing older systems and introducing low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps. The new study will focus on making sure these systems are working together as effectively as possible to meet the demands of a large acute hospital estate.
Due to start in June 2026 and run for 10 months, the study will examine how heat is generated and distributed around hospital buildings, and how this could be improved in the future. The findings, expected in spring 2027, will help inform future decisions about heating across the Trust’s sites.
As well as supporting the Trust’s own carbon reduction plans, the study will also explore how hospital sites could contribute to wider low‑carbon heat networks in Oxford as part of the Oxford District Heat Network Partnership.
Improving the efficiency of these systems is a key step in reducing carbon emissions from NHS buildings, lowering energy costs, and ensuring reliable, resilient energy supplies that support critical patient care and clinical services.
Lisa Hofen, Chief Estates and Facilities Officer at OUH, said: "This funding is a really important step in helping us understand how our energy systems are performing following major recent upgrades across our estate. Using detailed evidence, we can improve efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and make best use of the technologies already in place."
