The development of the UK’s greenest ever health building has raised questions about the future of hundreds of premises developed earlier this century.

Community Health Partnerships, which runs many premises, revealed its concerns as the “green” surgery in Coventry nears completion. The NHS is going to have to make decisions quite soon about hundreds of practice premises developed through a major public-private partnership, according to the manager now overseeing the programme. Premises, developed through the LIFT programme, are jointly owned by the NHS and private companies – but the agreements will expire by the end of the decade.

The NHS will need to find ways to take ownership of the buildings as they are “core assets” for the new integrated care systems, according to the interim chief executive of Community Health Partnership, Wendy Farrington-Chad. The CHP is responsible for about 350 premises established through the programme, representing about 5% of the NHS estate. It is wholly owned by the Health Secretary. Speaking to the Health Service Journal, Ms Farrington-Chadd said clarity is needed quite soon”.

She said: “In some way they will be retained and managed through the NHS – we just don’t know how at this stage.We’re working on the basis that the LIFT model can’t be extended. I don’t see that changing in the short-term.”

Ms Farrington-Chad said the NHS also needs to rethink the way it develops buildings in order to meet commitments for zero carbon. She praised the project in Foleshill, Coventry, where a new surgery building has received Passivhaus certification and is described as the “greenest health care building in the UK.”

The building uses an air source heat pump and has photovoltaic panels on the roof. It also makes maximum use of natural light. It has tripled glazed windows and all rooms have fully fresh air, filtered through ceiling ducts, and uses no fossil fuels. The premises opened to patients in August.

Eugene Prinsloo, from CHP, said: “CHP are delighted to achieve the first Passivhaus accreditation for a health centre in the UK. The benefits of Passivhaus will improve the working conditions of staff and the care environment of patients and carers as users of the Foleshill Health Centre for years to come. It is also a key step in delivering on the NHS commitment to Net Zero Carbon.”