On 11 February Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Chair of the RCGP wrote to Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. Her letter includes these points:
- Primary care accounts for 25% of the NHS’s carbon emissions and has some of the most energy-inefficient buildings, due to long-standing lack of investment in estates.
- 69% of 600 GP partners polled by the RCGP identified insufficient capital funding as a key barrier to improving the sustainability of their premises.
- Only five GP practices in England and Wales have been able to take advantage of the Boiler Upgrade Grant scheme since its launch in May 2022.
- The RCGP wants GP practices be able to access GB Energy investments, which is currently only available to hospitals,
The RCGP have also published this e-learning guide for people working in practices who are considering how to reduce their carbon emissions.
Question in Parliament
On 10 February, Helen Maguire (Lib Dem, Epsom and Ewell) asked Katie White MP, minister for Energy Security and Net Zero what plans the Department has to help improve GP access to decarbonisation schemes?
Helen Maguire followed up here initial question by saying:
“Primary care accounts for around 25% of the NHS’s carbon emissions, with many GPs working in ageing, energy-inefficient buildings with high running costs. Research from the Royal College of General Practitioners reveals that only five GP practices in England and Wales have accessed the boiler upgrade grant scheme since May 2022, and most are unable to access the public sector decarbonisation scheme. GP partners across the UK identify a lack of capital funding as the main barrier to decarbonisation, yet 260 NHS trusts are rightly receiving Government funding for new Toggle showing location of solar panels. Will the Minister meet me and the Royal College of General Practitioners to discuss how GPs can access decarbonisation schemes, and will she expand GB Energy’s investment model to GPs?”