The government has today confirmed funding and a realistic
timetable to put the New Hospital Programme on track to deliver
all of its hospital projects.
This credible timeline for delivery will ensure that staff and
patients have access to the facilities they desperately need
around the country as soon as possible.
It follows a review of
the scheme which found that the previous government's
commitment to deliver ‘40 new hospitals' by 2030 was behind
schedule, unfunded and therefore undeliverable.
In its annual report, published last week, the Infrastructure
Projects Authority (IPA) also deemed the previous scheme
‘unachievable', rating the programme as red and highlighting
major issues including with the schedule and budget. An
independent IPA review upgraded the New Hospitals Programme
from a red to an amber rating last week, thanks to action taken
to improve deliverability.
In May 2023, for example, the previous government announced that
the programme was backed by over £20 billion of investment – but
this funding was never delivered.
This government is committed to rebuilding our NHS and to
rebuilding trust in government. The new plan, which is affordable
and honest, will be backed with £15 billion of new investment
over consecutive five-year waves, averaging £3 billion a year.
, Health and Social Care Secretary, said:
The New Hospital Programme we inherited was unfunded and
undeliverable. Not a single new hospital was built in the past
five years, and there was no credible funding plan to build forty
in the next five years.
When I walked into the Department of Health and Social Care, I
was told that the funding for the New Hospitals Programme runs
out in March. We were determined to put the programme on a firm
footing, so we can build the new hospitals our NHS needs.
Today we are setting out an honest, funded, and deliverable
programme to rebuild our NHS.
This government inherited buildings and equipment across the NHS
that had been left to crumble, disrupting patient care and
hindering staff.
As Lord Darzi found in his investigation, the NHS was starved of
capital in the last decade, with £37 billion under-investment
over the 2010s, leaving some hospitals with roofs that have
fallen in, and leaking pipes which freeze over in winter.
Building an NHS estate that is fit for the future is key to the
government's Plan for Change that will get the health service
back on its feet and see waiting times slashed. At the Budget,
the Chancellor announced that health capital spending in the NHS
is set to increase to record levels of £13.6 billion in 2025-26.
For schemes that were out of scope of the review, those already
with approved Full Business Cases will continue as planned and
are already in construction (Wave 0).
The remaining schemes will be allocated to one of three wave
groups:
- Schemes in Wave 1 are expected to begin construction between
2025 and 2030. These schemes include hospitals constructed
primarily using RAAC, and have been prioritised as patient and
staff safety is paramount.
- Schemes in Waves 2 are expected to begin construction between
2030 and 2035.
- Schemes in Wave 3 are expected to begin construction between
2035 and 2039.
Hospitals in later waves will be supported on their development
and early construction work before then, to ensure that they are
ready for main construction.
The plan for implementation sets out a clear pipeline of schemes
to be delivered over the next decade and beyond. The New Hospital
Programme will continue to work closely with industry to support
construction, develop relationships and secure investment within
the supply chain.
Morag Stuart, Chief Programme Officer for the New Hospital
Programme, said:
This announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care
provides certainty on the next steps for the New Hospital
Programme.
We will continue to work with local NHS organisations to deliver
improvements to hospitals across England, including making best
use of new technology and improving layouts – and ensuring future
hospitals are designed to meet the needs of patients and staff.
The New Hospital Programme is just one part of the government's
wider commitment to transforming the NHS estate. Over £1 billion
has been set aside to make inroads into the existing backlog of
critical maintenance, repairs and upgrades, while £102 million
has been dedicated for upgrades to GP surgeries across England as
a first step towards transforming the primary care estate.
This refreshed and honest direction for the NHP will transform
the provision of hospital healthcare, to build an NHS fit for the
future.
Notes to editors
