NHS Fife Showcases Climate Action Projects During Ministerial Visit

During the visit, the Minister viewed the hospital’s solar photovoltaic installation and visited its Ecotherapy Garden, where she met staff from NHS Fife’s Pain Management Service involved in using the therapeutic outdoor space.

Alison Thewliss MSP, Minister for Community Care, visited Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline as part of Scotland’s Climate Week to see how NHS Fife is reducing carbon emissions and using its outdoor spaces to support patient health and wellbeing.

During the visit, the Minister viewed the hospital’s solar photovoltaic installation and visited its Ecotherapy Garden, where she met staff from NHS Fife’s Pain Management Service involved in using the therapeutic outdoor space.

The solar installation provides approximately 140kW of renewable electricity generation capacity and forms part of NHS Fife’s wider programme to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy resilience. A further 100kW of solar generation capacity has been installed on another roof at the hospital. The installation helps reduce the hospital’s reliance on electricity from the grid and supports preparations for the future electrification of heat.

The Minister also visited the hospital’s Ecotherapy Garden, which was developed after engagement by the NHS Fife Sustainability Team identified an opportunity to transform an underused area into a therapeutic environment supporting patient care and wellbeing. 

Developed with Scottish Government funding, the garden supports people living with chronic pain and other long-term conditions through connection with nature. It includes outdoor consultation areas, accessible planting at different heights and a wheelchair-accessible raised planting bed

Alison Thewliss MSP, Minister for Community Care, said: “Queen Margaret Hospital’s use of solar panels is helping limit its energy costs and reduce its dependence on unstable global energy markets. The hospital’s eco-therapy garden represents an innovative use of an under-used green space.

“Hearing about these measures really brought home to me how every part of our society including the health system has a part to play in addressing the climate and nature emergencies. Communities across Scotland stand to benefit from taking climate action and protecting our planet.

“During Scotland’s Climate Week it is important that we celebrate progress like this, to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions, and consider the further steps we all need to take to build the resilience of our communities and safeguard the environment, locally and globally, for the generations who follow us.”

The visit from Ms Thewliss MSP took place during Scotland's Climate Week and came as NHS Fife reported continued progress in reducing its environmental impact. The health board's latest Annual Climate Emergency and Sustainability Report highlights a reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions of more than 5% during 2025/26, alongside lower energy use, reduced fleet emissions and progress in areas including renewable energy, sustainable travel, biodiversity and waste reduction.

The report also outlines NHS Fife's ongoing commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040 through a programme of energy efficiency, decarbonisation and environmental improvement projects across its estate.

Neil McCormick, Director of Property and Asset Management at NHS Fife, said: “Climate Week provided an important opportunity to welcome the Minister to Queen Margaret Hospital and demonstrate how sustainability can deliver direct benefits for patients, staff and the wider community.

“Our solar installations are helping us generate more renewable electricity on site, reduce our reliance on grid electricity and strengthen the resilience of our estate. These installations also help support our longer-term transition to low-carbon heating and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

“The Ecotherapy Garden shows that sustainability is about more than reducing emissions. By transforming underused land, we have created an accessible outdoor space that supports people living with chronic pain and other long-term conditions, while also enhancing biodiversity and making better use of the NHS estate.

“We were pleased to share this work with the Minister and discuss how NHS Fife will continue to develop sustainable healthcare environments that support both people and the planet.”

NHS Fife is planning further solar installations and decarbonisation projects across its sites, alongside biodiversity improvements, community growing initiatives, tree planting and work to enhance greenspaces for patients, staff and local communities.