EAST Dorset's NHS bodies are generally ahead of the game when it comes to controlling their carbon footprint, new figures show.

Figures from the Estates Returns Information Collection, published by NHS Digital shows a third of trusts in England are still without vital environmental plans in place.

According to analysis from the Newsquest newspaper group's Data Investigations Unit, more than 60 per cent of NHS trusts are not on course to meet the Government’s carbon reduction targets.

However, NHS facilities in East Dorset are hitting the targets; Royal Bournemouth Hospital not only had a transport plan, it also has a sustainable management plan which is on track to meet its target.

South Western Ambulance Trust is on track to hit its transport and sustainability plans and Poole Hospital has a sustainable management plan but is yet to implement its healthy transport plan.

Sustainability and Fleet Manager for Dorset HealthCare, Patrick McDermott, said: “We are fully committed to reducing our carbon footprint and being an organisation which is environmentally, socially and financially sustainable. We have had a sustainable development management plan in place for the past five years, and are on target to meet the requirement of a 34 per cent carbon reduction by 2020, as required by the Climate Change Act.

“The Trust received a certificate of excellence awarded by the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU), NHS Improvement and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) in recognition of our progress in this area.

“And we are currently developing a healthy travel plan for staff, which is due to be launched later this year.”

Trusts which are failing to meet their plans were slammed by Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth.

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.”

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

This represented 40 per cent of public sector emissions in England.

Two years later Public Health England and NHS England launched the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Health, Public Health and Social Care System, which described the vision for a sustainable health and care system.

Their aim was a 34 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from building energy use, travel and acquiring goods and services by 2020.

Co-leader of the Green Party, Jonathan Bartley, told Newsquest funding was needed to help the NHS tackle the climate crisis.

“We have to keep in mind the intense financial pressure the NHS is suffering, with health funding far behind that of comparable countries,” he said.

“The NHS needs to be properly funded to meet the agreed policies to tackle the climate crisis, which means having the appropriate healthy transport, sustainable development and carbon reduction plans in place.

“And it needs to see political leadership from the Government to demonstrate that politicians at Westminster are really demanding action – which means not expanding Heathrow, backing fracking or new road building.”