Net Zero mental health hospital shortlisted for HSJ Award | News and Events

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) is proud to announce that North View has been shortlisted for the Net Zero Award at the prestigious 2025 HSJ Awards. This recognition highlights its bold commitment to sustainable healthcare and climate-conscious design.  

North View is Manchester’s new groundbreaking and multi- award-winning adult mental health inpatient unit. Work on North View started on 15 August 2022 with the new hospital built and fully operational by 18 November 2024.  

Run by GMMH, it is the first mental health hospital in the UK to operate entirely on electricity, setting a new national standard for low-carbon healthcare infrastructure.  

This year’s HSJ Awards attracted more than 1,250 entries from across the health sector. With only 245 projects and individuals making it through to the final shortlist, the competition has been incredibly tough, demonstrating the impressive scale of talent, commitment, and impact across the NHS and wider healthcare landscape.  

GMMH’s North View was selected following a rigorous judging process and has been recognised as a standout example of excellence in healthcare delivery.    

Built to the latest environmental specifications, it is a Net Zero powerhouse - a living example of how innovation and sustainability can help transform patient care.  

North View’s eco-engineering is central to its identity. Every element of the building has been designed to reduce environmental impact and support the NHS’s Net Zero ambitions.  

Marc Reed, Director of Capital, Estates and Facilities at GMMH and Project Director for the development said:  

“ Being shortlisted for the HSJ Net Zero Award is a powerful endorsement of GMMH’s commitment to delivering best in class mental health care, in an outstanding environment that lead s the way in delivering a net zero NHS for its service users.”  

The building has an all-electric infrastructure: No gas. No fossil fuels. 100% electric-powered operations that include:  

• Smart energy systems: Intelligent building-management technology monitors and optimises energy use.  
• Hot water innovation: Solar thermal systems and air source heat pumps deliver efficient, temperature-controlled hot water.  
• Low-carbon heating: Underfloor heating and radiant panels powered by air source heat pump technology.  
• Solar photovoltaics: Panels across the building capture solar energy and convert it into usable electricity 
• Ventilation and cooling: Natural ventilation combined with reverse-cycle cooling systems for optimal comfort and efficiency.  
• LED lighting: Energy-efficient lighting fitted throughout as standard.
• Sustainable insulation: High-performance materials prevent heat loss and reduce energy consumption.  

The HSJ 2025 awards judging panel was once again made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, including; Matthew Style, Director General, Secondary Care and Integration, Department of Health & Social Care, Mark Cubbon, Chief Executive Officer, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, NHS England as well as a range of esteemed Chief Executives from NHS Trusts across the UK.   

HSJ Editor Alastair McLellan commented:  

“On behalf of all my colleagues, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate GMMH on being shortlisted as a finalist in the category of Net Zero. All of the applications represent the ‘very best of the NHS’ and often leave our esteemed panel of judges with an impossible choice!

“Year on year the number of entrants continue to rise which I find so encouraging and is testament to the effect that HSJ Awards can have on improved staff culture and morale .

“ We’re all very much looking forward to welcoming our finalists to the awards ceremony in November, celebrating their impressive achievements and jointly acknowledging our values of sharing best practice, improving patient outcomes and continuously driving for better service. But we never forget that the award ceremony is not just a celebration within a night, but a platform to recognise the hard work of all our NHS staff, all year round.”  

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 20th November 2025 at Evolution London. The event celebrates excellence in healthcare, promotes best practice, and recognises the people and projects improving outcomes for patients nationwide.  

The news comes after an already impressive run of honours and nominations for North View.  

Last month North View was crowned both the sub-regional Project of the Year and the North West Building Project of the Year in the North West Regional Construction Awards (NWRCA)  and will now go into the national awards - held in November - to represent the North West.   

The project scooped honours at the Design in Mental Health Awards: Outside Spaces of the Year and was highly commended in the New Build - Project of the Year category.    

It also won Best Specialist and Dementia Care Design at the Healthcare Design Awards 2025.   

In May it won the Project of the Year at the annual HEFMA awards having also landed an accolade for service user engagement for building design in the Design in Mental Health Network Awards in 2022.   

Earlier in the year the project was also shortlisted for the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Awards Project Team of the Year Award which celebrates the collaboration and combined efforts of groups of people working together to meet a combined goal.