Solar panels installed at Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital

The money saved will be reinvested in patient care.

The roof-mounted panels at Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital will generate power throughout the year, helping to reduce its carbon footprint.

The project will save Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) around £17,000 a year, which will be reinvested in patient care.

Richard Brown, LPT’s associate director for estates and facilities, said: “This is a welcome investment, and supports the Trust’s approach to sustainability.

“Renewable sources are part of an NHS goal to achieve net zero emissions.”

The hospital has two inpatient wards, which means it needs electricity seven days a week. It is also the base for community nursing teams and several therapy services. The solar panels are likely to generate around 10 per cent of the site’s annual electricity needs.

Chris Gormley, chief sustainability officer at NHS England, said: “Thanks to this new funding, we are set to expand solar generation by more than 300% across the NHS – slashing millions of pounds from energy bills, which can then be redirected into patient care.

“These new solar panels are expected to save the NHS £8.6 million every year once all the projects are completed, adding up to £260 million over their lifetime.

“That’s a massive leap towards a more sustainable, cost-efficient NHS – building on the great work already undertaken in the five years since we became the first healthcare system in the world to commit to reaching net zero.”

In February, LPT switched on another government-funded solar array at Loughborough Hospital.