Coal still being burned at Nottingham City Hospital despite pledge to stop two years ago

Nottingham City Hospital has continued to burn coal - spending nearly £750,000 - despite announcing plans to shut down its boiler two years ago.

After a campaign to stop the use of the hospital's coal boiler, residents in the area were told it would be switching to oil and gas in 2017, with coal only to be burned for insurance purposes or in emergencies.

But a Freedom of Information request by AirQualityNews revealed nearly 3,400 tonnes of coal had been used by the hospital in two years.

In 2018, it burned 2,435 tonnes of coal, spending £563,636.

And in 2019, From January 1 until April 30, the hospital burned 914 tonnes, spending £162,569.

Residents nearby reacted in anger to the revelation and said it was a "backwards" way of thinking from the trust.

Sophie Parks, 23, who lives just off Valley Road, close to the hospital told Nottinghamshire Live: "It's not nice news to hear, especially given the known facts on burning fossil fuels and the damage it does to people's health and the environment. 

"I would like to see an approach taken with solar power alongside oil and gas."

Gareth Walker, 24, who also lives close to the City Hospital, said it was a "backwards" approach from the hospital.

He added: "It's just a very old fashioned way of approaching things. Hospitals should be leading the way with clean energy usage.

"Nottingham is big on its clean air so to live close by isn't ideal as you don't know what you're breathing in. The sooner they stop altogether the better."

Colin Wilson, who lives close to the hospital told AirQualityNews: "It’s absolutely astounding.

"I wouldn’t be allowed to work in a mine or a quarry with this air pollution yet people who live in this area are still breathing it.

"They don’t care. They quite simply don’t care."

The government has set out a plan to ban the burning of household coal by 2025.

Nottingham City Hospital is reportedly one of two hospitals continuing to use a coal-powered boiler, with Goole and District Hospital in North Yorkshire the other.

Andrew Chatten, director of estates and facilities management at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We continue to implement the trust’s decision to switch from coal to gas as the main way to heat City Hospital.

"In 2018, 3.4  tonnes of coal were burnt, versus 9.3 tonnes in 2016, showing a significant reduction in our usage. We have a plan to end the use of coal at our hospital and to produce our own on-site electricity.

"We don’t yet know when this will be completed as we work through the most cost-effective way of funding this work, though remain committed to doing this as soon as possible.

"We will continue to keep our neighbours, patients, local community and partners informed as the project progresses.”