Hospital defends pollution record

Improvements have been made at Borders General Hospital

The environmental record of NHS Borders has been defended after a hospital incinerator was cited as one of the country's worst pollution producers.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency listed Borders General Hospital alongside the likes of landfill sites and a chemical plant.

It highlighted the failure to limit the emission of hydrogen chloride.

NHS Borders said it had worked closely with SEPA and had now delivered improvements at the Melrose site.

The environmental watchdog recently published its report on industries which met their green responsibilities last year.

SEPA will not shy away from taking appropriate enforcement action in relation to those sites which consistently fail to meet standards Audrey Terry SEPA spokeswoman

It said 94% of the largest sites had received satisfactory operator performance assessments.

However, it listed 17 sites, including the Borders hospital, which did not meet those standards.

Spokeswoman Audrey Terry said: "SEPA will not shy away from taking appropriate enforcement action in relation to those sites which consistently fail to meet SEPA's standards.

"In fact it is because SEPA has taken formal enforcement action that some sites have received an unsatisfactory operator performance assessment."

However, NHS Borders said it had taken action to address the problems which had led to the situation.

A spokesman said that a number of environmental reports which had not been finished within the stipulated timescale were now complete.

Improvements made

Emissions software has been modified and waste is now segregated to ensure compliance with emission values.

He said these improvements would ensure the incinerator now met SEPA's requirements.

"In addition, it should be noted that the volume of BGH domestic waste going to landfill is significantly reduced by utilising the incinerator," he said.

"Also, steam is produced in the incinerator waste heat boiler which contributes to the overall heating of domestic water and reduces our use of natural gas."