Refurbishments

All NHS buildings, including those currently in use, need to move quickly to have a significantly lower carbon impact, not only in their construction but also in their lifetime use and in their decommissioning.

NHS buildings must be designed to promote sustainable behaviours in staff, patients and visitors, and they must be adaptable to support change towards low carbon patient pathways. All new buildings and major refurbishments should be designed to withstand significant climate change and weather extremes.       
Any refurbishments or change of use of current buildings should be done to the highest standards and reflect similar priorities as new builds. Refurbishments are also an opportunity to make best use of existing space and to adapt buildings to be more resilient to climate change impacts, including heat waves and flooding.