NHS Lothian invests over half a million pounds into electric fleet

NHS Lothian has invested over half a million pounds into its electric fleet as part of its ongoing efforts to lead in sustainable healthcare.

Over £525,000 has been spent on an additional 58 electric vehicles and 46 charging stations at sites across NHS Lothian.

Commenting, Iain Sneddon, transport manager for NHS Lothian, said: “Climate change poses the biggest threat to global health and its vital that we adapt to this as an organisation, not just as individuals.

“Electric vehicles are the preference when we’re looking to grow our fleet or replace vehicles.

Members of the NHS Lothian Transport team with EVs.

"Not only are they a cleaner alternative, but they have the added benefit of being more cost-effective.”

This brings the total number of electric vehicles in NHS Lothian to 187, which is just over a quarter of NHS Lothian’s fleet. NHS Lothian received its first three electric vehicles in 2012.

In 2019, Transport Scotland provided funding which resulted in an additional 39 electric vehicles being added to the fleet.

Dr Jane Hopton, Sustainability Lead for NHS Lothian, said: “Making our fleet greener is part of our wider strategy to ensure NHS Lothian is a leader in sustainable healthcare.

“We’ve also been working to reduce the impact medical gasses have on the environment, as well growing our green spaces and improving our energy infrastructure.

“Iain and his team have done a fantastic job over the last few years with the fleet and have clearly had a huge impact already on reducing NHS Lothian’s carbon footprint.”​​​​​​​

Since 2019, the electric fleet has travelled over 1.5 million miles and has been used by teams such as podiatry, physiotherapy and forensic.

The average car emits 0.78 pounds of CO2 per mile driven, which means NHS Lothian has prevented around 500 tonnes of CO2 being released into local communities.