Milton Keynes University Hospital transformed by £5m green project
Powering a cleaner, greener Milton Keynes Hospital
Staff and patients say they're delighted with a £5m project, which has made a major hospital greener and cheaper to run.
Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) cares for more than half-a-million patients a year across Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire. It also operates a state of the art medical school in partnership with the University of Buckingham.
Developments including 500 new windows, a new ventilation system and rooftop solar panels, along with the removal of a chimney and gas boilers were funded with £2.7m from the government's Public Sector Decaronisation Scheme.
"The work that's been undertaken through the Salix project is so important to Milton Keynes. As we strive to reduce our carbon footprint, we want to ensure that our hospital plays its part in ensuring a greener future," said MKUH chief executive, Professor Joe Harrison.
We've already had some superb feedback from staff, patients and their families about the improvements here on site.
"We have delivered everything that we said we were going to deliver with the team, both on time and also within the budget," added Prof Harrison.
"The Salix team has been really great to work with. Not only have the team been flexible, but they have worked with us to identify our needs and provided support for the overall management of the project.
We've already had superb feedback from staff, patients and their families about the improvements including the brand new windows which are better for efficiency and look so much nicer."
Milton Keynes will be the world’s greenest and most sustainable city by becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon negative by 2050
More than half of the total project cost came from Phase 3b Public Sector Decaronisation Scheme funding from government of £2.7m - resulting in annual savings for MKUH NHS Trust of more than £80,000, and annual carbon savings equal to 30 journeys between earth and the moon in petrol.
Almost 500 windows across the site were upgraded and four theatres got new ventilation units. The hospital's Sterile Services Department also benefitted from new instrument washers and autoclaves, which decontaminate apparatus.
The building also has a new electrical infrastructure, powered with help from new solar panels on the roof of the site, meaning a gas fired steam boiler plant and chimney were able to be removed.
The multi-year Phase 3c project, with almost £13m of Public Sector Decarbonisaton Scheme funding, will now get underway. This will see the site move towards full decaronisation through a water-sourced heat pump led network.
We are contributing towards reducing our carbon footprint and the green agenda for our city, so it has been an absolute delight.
"Going through this project with the Salix team has allowed us to learn a lot, in particular how we have senior level sponsorship from the entire board committed to the programme through to an understanding across all of the people that work here about why we're doing it and how it improves our hospital," said Prof Harrison.
"A personal highlight has been the way that the teams have worked together, and to see members of my whole team get involved in being energy efficient and saving money. Modernising our buildings and providing more comfortable facilities for both our staff and patients is great.
"And we know that we are contributing towards reducing our carbon footprint and the green agenda for our city. The project has been an absolute delight."
Picture credit: Salix Finance
From left, Aidan Smith (estates project officer, MKUH), Justin Morris (programme co-ordinator, Salix), Anthony Marsh (director of estates and facilities, MKUH), Kiara Sagoo (client support officer, Salix), Stuart Watson (strategic estates senior engineer, MKUH), Baroness Evans (chair, Salix), Phil Eagles (estates lead for strategic development, MKUH), Alison Jeffers (non-executive director, Salix).
