Responding to British Medical Journal (BMJ) calculations of £2m more per month extra energy spend for hospitals, Saffron Cordery, the interim chief executive at NHS Providers, said: 

"Trust leaders are worried about rising fuel bills and the impact of inflation, which is expected to spiral even further in the coming months.

"The government's failure to fully fund the NHS pay award has meant that vital resources are now being diverted from planned developments for frontline care at a time of unprecedented operational pressure.

"We are already seeing the knock on effects of this for patient care with planned cuts to community diagnostics and digital innovations. But this could just be the tip of the iceberg."