University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) completed the final phase of its energy-efficiency project at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI) on 5 February 2026. The initiative is intended to lower monthly utility bills so the Trust can protect frontline services and staff.
The Trust’s Green Plan includes installing more than 2,000 LED lights and expanding solar PV capacity across its sites. The recent funding announced on 5 February allocates £887,000 to UHMBT — £542,000 of which will be used for additional LED lighting and the remainder for building-management systems (BMS) and controls at the RLI. These upgrades, together with improved building controls, are expected to reduce the hospital’s electricity and gas bills.
UHMBT, the area’s largest employer with about 6,000 staff, says the savings created by these measures will be ring‑fenced to protect frontline services and help avoid further ward closures or staff reductions after the Trust warned of severe financial pressure in late 2025 and in January 2026. By spending less on energy, hospital leaders say they can keep more funding available for medical care and staff pay.
The funding was awarded under the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), administered by Salix Finance, and the Trust has described the grant as a way to reduce long-term running costs and reinvest savings into frontline services.
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