Carbon Reduction Plan

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Introduction

This Carbon Reduction Plan sets out Quest Medical's commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2045, and the actions we have taken and will take to get there. It is published on our website and shared with customers and other interested parties.

Quest moves, powers and maintains mobile and relocatable diagnostic units for the NHS and independent healthcare providers. Our emissions form part of our customers' supply chains, so this plan is designed to support their own net zero commitments as well as ours.

The plan is aligned with NHS England's Delivering a 'Net Zero' National Health Service (October 2020), the NHS Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy (PRN00712, October 2023) and the NHS carbon reduction plan requirements for suppliers (PRN00711, December 2025). It follows the structure of the UK Government's PPN 006 template.

Scope

This plan covers all Quest Medical UK operations: logistics, engineering, the Hub, Q-Power and Quest Meditech. It includes our sites at Brentwood (West Horndon), Heyford (Bicester), Warrington and Deeside, our tractor-unit bases at Dinnington and Heywood, and all employees, contractors and vehicles operating on behalf of Quest Medical.

Quest Medical is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2045.

We have chosen 2045, ahead of the 2050 minimum, to match the NHS target for the emissions it can influence. We support the NHS ambition for all commissioned vehicles to be zero emission by 2040, and will adopt zero-emission heavy vehicles as soon as viable options exist for our work.

Our Emissions Overview

Our largest source of emissions is diesel used by our tractor units. Moving mobile MRI and CT trailers needs heavy goods vehicles, and there is currently no viable alternative to diesel for this work, nor is one expected for some time. Current NHS trials of electric trucks are limited to 19-tonne rigid vehicles, not heavy articulated or abnormal-load moves.

Our plan therefore focuses on what we can control now: using as little fuel as possible on every move, removing diesel generators from customer sites through Q-Power, and cutting emissions from our sites, smaller vehicles and wider operations. We will keep lower-carbon fuels and zero-emission heavy vehicles under active review and adopt them when they become viable.

Scope - Main sources at Quest Medical

Scope 1

Diesel used by our tractor units and support vans [company cars have been switched to electric vehicles where feasible, and this accounts for the majority of them]; diesel used by generators we operate, including Q-Power recharging.

Scope 2

Electricity used at our sites, including power supplied to customer units parked at our depots

Scope 3

Subcontracted transport, waste from our operations, business travel and employee commuting

Measuring our baseline: we are establishing our emissions baseline for 2026 from fuel, energy, waste and travel records already held in our transport management system, telematics and finance systems. Baseline and annual emissions figures will be published in the next issue of this plan, with an emissions-per-move measure so that progress is visible as the business grows.

What We Have Already Done

  • Environmental management: our ISO 14001-certified environmental management system, alongside ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and ISO 27001.
  • Q-Power: our battery power units replace diesel generators at customer sites, using significantly less diesel.
  • Cleaner fleet: all our tractor units meet the Euro 6 emissions standard, with a regular review and replacement programme.
  • Fuel monitoring: Samsara telematics and our transport management system track fuel use, idling and driving style for every vehicle and driver.
  • Smarter planning: our planning team combines movements to reduce empty running and mileage.
  • Driver training: fuel-efficient driving is part of our driver training matrix, with coaching where monitoring shows idling or less efficient driving.
  • Our sites: our Energy Management Policy (TMS16) covers LED lighting, occupancy sensors and controlled heating and cooling. Our Waste Management Policy (TMS02) applies the waste hierarchy and segregates waste for recycling. We have very specific policies with regards to tyre and battery recycling.
  • Parked units: customer units parked at our depots run on metered mains power, not generators.

What We Are Doing Now

Over the next 12 months we will:

  • Make our anti-idling policy mandatory across the fleet, supported by telematics alerts.
  • Review further amendments to fleet speed limiting, low-rolling-resistance tyres and tyre-pressure monitoring.
  • Assess HVO (renewable diesel from certified waste sources), including cost, availability and manufacturer approval.
  • Investigate moving our sites to a certified renewable electricity tariff.
  • Bring our Warrington site into our Energy and Waste Management Policies.
  • Complete and publish our emissions baseline and set interim reduction targets.
  • Engage with NHS England's freight decarbonisation programme on fleet planning and access to charging.

What We Will Do Next

Timeframe - Our plans

To 2028

Continue to reduce fuel use per move through planning, telematics and driver training. Continue to review HVO to customers as a low-carbon option if our assessment shows it is viable. Recharge Q-Power units from the grid at our depots wherever possible. Move more support vans to electric or hybrid where feasible. Ask our key suppliers and subcontractors for their own carbon reduction plans.

To 2030

Extend Q-Power to more customer sites. Install depot charging and on-site solar / wind power where practical. Specify the most fuel-efficient tractor units available at each fleet replacement. Monitor zero-emission heavy vehicle developments with manufacturers and NHS England.

To 2040

Work towards the NHS Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy ambition for zero-emission commissioned vehicles, introducing zero-emission or low-carbon heavy vehicles as soon as they are viable for moving MRI and CT trailers.

To 2045

Reach net zero across our operations, reducing emissions as far as possible and neutralising any that remain through verified carbon removals.

From April 2027 we will review this plan in line with new NHS England's 2027 carbon reduction plan requirements, covering our wider supply chain emissions.

Supporting Our Customers

Lower-carbon power on site

Q-Power removes the need for diesel generators at customer sites, directly reducing our customers' emissions.

Reporting

We can provide contract-level fuel, mileage and carbon information to support customers' own carbon reporting to the NHS.

Low-carbon options

As lower-carbon fuels and vehicles become viable for our work, we will review opportunities to use them for our customers.

Monitoring and Review

Progress is monitored by our SHEQ team through our ISO 14001 management system and reported to the senior management team. This plan is formally reviewed and updated every six months, and approved by the Board of Directors.