The Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham is having several windows replaced as part of a drive to get to net zero and save the hospital around £5m a year.

Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) is the latest hospital to benefit from net-zero refurbishments, as contractor, Willmott Dixon, has been brought on to deliver the next phase of a 15-year programme to decarbonise hospitals across Nottingham.

Led by Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust and E.ON energy, the works will help the hospital reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030, as well as save an estimated £5m a year in energy costs.

The existing windows at QMC date back to the hospital’s opening in 1977 and are being replaced with modern frames made from 80% recycled aluminium and double glazing to improve airtighteness, heat retention, and patient comfort.

The new windows will cover an area of over 18,00sq m and will be installed in all four of the hospital’s main blocks.

The project is being carried out while the hospital remains fully operational and is being funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which is administered by Salix Finance on behalf of the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The work is estimated for completion later this year.

Nick Gibb, deputy managing director at Willmott Dixon, said: “Working alongside E.ON, this window refit initiative is part of a long-term proactive approach to tackle the climate crisis, something which hugely benefits the trust in the form of cost savings and creating a better environment for patients and staff.

“A key part of this project was about ensuring QMC can care for its patients as normal and we are proud to have been recognised as sustainability experts within the healthcare sector who are able to overcome the challenges posed by working in a live hospital environment.”