Over three-quarters of NHS hospital sites have no EV chargers

More than three quarters of NHS hospital sites across England do not have a single electric vehicle charging point, according to new analysis from online used car retailer cinch.

Data from the latest NHS Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) shows that just 670 out of 2,901 hospital sites – only 23% – currently offer EV charging for staff or visitors. That leaves nearly 77% of sites with no charging access at all, and just 4,908 charging points recorded across the entire NHS estate.

The findings reveal significant regional variation. The North East and Yorkshire region has the highest number of chargers overall, with 1,098 across 450 sites. However, even in this best-performing region, more than two-thirds of sites still have no chargers.

At the other end of the scale, the South West has just 277 chargers across 285 sites, with 82% of locations offering no EV charging.

At trust level, a small number of organisations account for a large share of the infrastructure. Those must plugged in are:

• West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – 129 chargers 
• Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – 120 chargers 
• Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – 101 chargers 
• South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust – 95 chargers 
• Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 88 chargers 

At the other end of the scale, several major trusts currently report no EV charging provision at all. 

• University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust – 0 chargers 
• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust – 0 chargers 
• United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – 0 chargers 
• Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – 0 chargers 
• Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 0 chargers 

cinch’s Ben Welham said: ‘It’s encouraging to see some regions and trusts making progress, with over 1,000 chargers in the North East and Yorkshire.

‘That shows investment is happening, but the challenge now is making sure it’s spread more evenly so electric car drivers can benefit.’

The report points out that for NHS staff working long shifts and patients who rely on driving to attend appointments, on-site charging can remove the stress of needing to find alternative charging locations. 

Welham adds: ‘For staff, patients and their visitors, knowing you’ll be able to charge up when you’re there is one less thing to worry about.

‘As more drivers switch to electric vehicles, expanding charging in everyday locations like hospitals is a key element of making that transition easy.’

The full report can be read here.