THE trust running Bromsgrove's Princess of Wales Hospital has been told to clean up its act after it emerged it has no plans in place to meet carbon reduction targets.

Worcestershire Health and Care Trust is one of many NHS trusts not on course to meet the Government’s carbon reduction targets, analysis from Newsquest's Data Investigations Unit can reveal.

Figures from the Estates Returns Information Collection, published by NHS Digital, shows the trusts is without vital environmental plans in place.

Data shows a third of trusts are in the same place.

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth condemned the figures and is among those who have called for changes to be made in light of the findings.

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.

But the NHS’ own data revealed that in 2017/18, a quarter of trusts with a target were not on course to meet it.

However, an NHS spokesman promised positive changes ahead.

A spokesman said: “The NHS has reduced carbon emissions by 18.5 per cent between 2007 and 2017.

“We will see further reductions thanks to the NHS’ Long Term Plan which introduces low emission vehicles, reduces the use of single use plastics and anaesthetic gases like nitrous oxide.”

A spokesman for Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust said it was committed to reducing its impact on the planet and the local environment.

The trust said it had invested in a number of projects to reduce energy consumption including installation of solar panels, LED lighting and improved insulation on a number of its community hospitals and buildings and has encouraged staff to cycle to work, car share and has piloted the use of an electric car for out-of-hours community nurses in Bromsgrove.

The spokesman said: "The trust continues to replace less efficient equipment including heaters and boilers and has introduced water saving anti-ligature taps across sites.

“Due to a changing portfolio of sites and services across Worcestershire, it is difficult to predict the exact outcome of these changes on the trust’s carbon footprint; however we remain committed to reducing our energy consumption and minimising our impact on the environment.”

Under the Climate Change Act 2008, NHS trusts were tasked to cut emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, supported by reductions of 34 per cent by 2020, and 50 per cent by 2025.