Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England has made on becoming the first health service in the world to achieve carbon net zero; and whether this work will continue in the new health service structure.

The National Health Service has made substantial progress in supporting the Government’s Net Zero commitments. These include securing over £1.2 billion in funding through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the NHS-wide decommissioning of desflurane, ongoing reduction in waste from nitrous oxide, and the introduction of requirements for NHS suppliers to disclose their emissions and publish a carbon reduction plan, in line with the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap.

Going forward, the Department will continue to work with partners across the NHS and Government to deliver on these aims, including through our recently announced £100 million partnership with Great British Energy, that will increase NHS solar generation by 300%.

The Government remains committed to supporting NHS bodies to meet their obligations regarding the environment, and as we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.