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Priory completes the first phase of an £11 million green investment programme
Priory, the UK largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care, has completed the first phase of an £11 million green investment programme.
The first installation took place on Thursday (18 April) at Priory Hospital Barnt Green in Birmingham, where new solar panels will prevent 14 tonnes of carbon being emitted at the site each year.
The £100,000 project will reduce annual electricity consumption by 30% and has been hailed as a “major step” on the organisation’s journey towards net zero.
It forms part of the wider Priory Green initiative, which will see similar developments take place across 80 hospitals and care homes throughout the UK over the next two years, with electricity bills set to reduce by £2 million per year as a result.
Priory Hospital Barnt Green is a purpose-built hospital, located in Lickey Hills Country Park, 10 miles south of Birmingham, which includes inpatient wards and an outpatient centre.
The hospital supports more than 300 people per year with a range of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, as well as offering specialist support for trauma related conditions.
Featuring Phil Bytheway, Priory Director of Estates, Philipp Schulte-Noelle, Median Chief Operating Officer, and Rob Cheetham, Hospital Director at Priory Hospital Barnt Green
Rob Cheetham, hospital director at Priory Hospital Barnt Green, said: “To be able to deliver solar powered treatment to our patients is a fantastic step towards carbon neutral healthcare.
“The patients we support here are treated in a calming, therapeutic environment, surrounded by woodland. Part of that therapeutic environment is reassuring our patients that we’re protecting our natural environment too.”
Phil Bytheway, director of estates at Priory, said: “This is a major step on our journey towards net zero. In the short term, our aim is to reduce our carbon footprint by 25% by 2025. This is the start of an £11m investment in solar power to help us achieve that aim.
“We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint by implementing energy-efficient practices, using renewable energy sources, reducing consumption and limiting waste.”
As a health and social care provider, our core purpose is to support people to live their lives as fully and independently as possible – providing high quality care with excellent outcomes, while contributing to a sustainable and equitable future for all.
You can read more about Priory’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments including our Carbon Reduction Plan here.