| As members of NHS Tayside’s finance and resources committee, meeting in Kings Cross Hospital, Dundee, debated the serious issue of massive increases in energy costs, it was suddenly realised all the lights were on while it was broad daylight.
There was an immediate request from NHS Tayside’s vice-chairman George King to flick the switches.
Committee members heard that there had been an increase in “self diagnosis of hypothermia” at Ninewells Hospital after the heating was switched off during the summer in a bid to contain rising fuel costs.
“And that during the second warmest September in half a century,” said Robin Hunter, from the health service union UNISON.
He said he was making a serious point, and some “very fraught situations” could be avoided if staff were “forewarned” of heating being switched off and fully understood the reasons for the decision.
Employee director John Thomson warned of the contribution “rattly windows” made to energy waste.
“Unfortunately a lot of NHS buildings are needing a great deal of repair,” he said.
“What is happening to the rattly windows and doors that don’t fit properly and make a huge difference to heat loss?”
John Shedden, head of capital projects for NHS Tayside, said there was a programme of replacement and repair to address that.
“There has been massive investment over the years but, like any organisation, we have to prioritise where we put our money,” said Mr Shedden.
Presenting a paper on energy costs to the committee, Muriel Anderson, assistant director of finance for NHS Tayside’s acute services division, said NHS Tayside spent approximately £5.2 million on energy last year.
She said fuel prices were “volatile” and forecast a £1.4 million overspend on the current year’s fuel costs.
“Last September, because of the way oil prices were going, we were no longer able to have annual contracts (with energy providers) and prices are now changing on a monthly basis,” said Mrs Anderson.
NHS Tayside chief executive Professor Tony Wells said it could not have been predicted that energy costs would rise to the extent they had. He asked if there had been discussions at a national level and would health boards be “assisted” with the extra costs.
NHS Tayside’s finance director David Clark said, “I am not aware the Executive at the moment are sympathetic to finding additional resources. The view tends to be that the level of additional budget put into services is probably the highest for a number of years and there is an expectation boards will manage pressures on budgets.” |
