AN investigation has revealed Great Western Hospital has no carbon reduction plan in place five years after the NHS launched a nationwide strategy aimed at cutting emissions 34 per cent by 2020.

Research conducted by a Newsquest investigation team, shows more than 60 per cent of NHS trusts in the country, including the GWH, are not on course to meet the Government’s carbon reduction targets.

And figures from the Estates Returns Information Collection, published by NHS Digital, show a third of trusts are still without vital environmental plans in place - Swindon's hospital is also one of these.

A spokeswoman for the GWH NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our carbon reduction and sustainability development plans are in the process of being reviewed by the board before formal publication.

“We have already started work to create a more environmentally-friendly infrastructure which includes a combined heat and power unit, as well as 10,000 energy efficient LED lights.

“This new infrastructure will reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, making the hospital a cleaner environment for all and saving the trust money every year.”

In 2014, Public Health England and NHS England launched the sustainable development strategy.

It aimed to provide a 34 per cent reduction by next year to carbon dioxide emissions from building energy use, travel and acquiring goods and services.

The NHS recently posted a job advert on its website for a sustainability manager at GWH with the description: “The post holder will play a critical part in advising the trust’s director of estates and facilities and head of capital development on all aspects of sustainability and will lead across the organisation on carbon reduction, waste management and sustainable development.”

On the hearing that GWH was planning to do more to provide sustainability and reduce its carbon emissions, Julian Jones, joint co-ordinator of the Swindon Climate Action Network, said: “It makes sense for all large organisations to have a sustainable development plan, so I am delighted to see that GWH trust has just been recruiting a sustainability manager who I’m sure will be keen to progress this.

“GWH trust has the potential to not only manage its own footprint but also to inspire many patients and staff to do the same.

“This can bring economic, health and environmental benefits to those involved and to us all.

“I hope senior management will fully engage with this activity and give it wide ranging scope, covering energy, transport, food and waste.

“I look forward to hearing more about their progress and plans in the near future.”

The Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership was also one of the trusts to have been found without any sustainability or carbon reduction plans in place.

AWP was approached for comment but had not responded by the time the Adver went to press.

In 2012 the carbon footprint of the NHS, public health and adult social services was estimated at 32 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth condemned the figures and is among those who have called for changes to be made in light of the Newsquest team's findings.

In a joint statement, Mr Ashworth and Shadow Environment Secretary, Sue Hayman, said: “These figures are shocking.

“The Labour Party has already called for a Clean Air Act, but it’s time the NHS took its responsibilities to climate change seriously.”