The government has announced a credible timeline and confirmed funding to put the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on track to deliver all its hospital projects.
This move aims to ensure that staff and patients across the country have access to the much-needed facilities as soon as possible.
Following a review of the scheme, it was found that the previous government's commitment to deliver '40 new hospitals' by 2030 was behind schedule, unfunded, and undeliverable. The Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) deemed the previous scheme 'unachievable' in its annual report, rating the programme as red and highlighting major issues with the schedule and budget. However, an independent IPA review recently upgraded the NHP from a red to an amber rating, thanks to actions taken to improve deliverability.
In May 2023, the previous government announced that the programme was backed by over £20 billion of investment, but this funding was never delivered. The current government is committed to rebuilding the NHS and restoring trust in government. The new plan, which is both affordable and honest, will be backed with £15 billion of new investment over consecutive five-year waves, averaging £3 billion a year.
The government inherited buildings and equipment across the NHS that had been left to crumble, disrupting patient care and hindering staff. Lord Darzi's investigation found that 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 that freeze over in winter.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting commented:
“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.”
Building an NHS estate fit for the future is key to the government's Plan for Change, which aims to get the health service back on its feet and reduce waiting times. 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:
- Wave 1 is expected to begin construction between 2025 and 2030. These schemes include hospitals constructed primarily using RAAC and have been prioritised for patient and staff safety.
- Wave 2 is expected to begin construction between 2030 and 2035.
- Wave 3 is expected to begin construction between 2035 and 2039.
Hospitals in later waves will be supported in their development and early construction work to ensure 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 NHP will continue to work closely with the industry to support construction, develop relationships, and secure investment within the supply chain.
The NHP is just one part of the government's wider commitment to transforming the NHS estate. Over £1 billion has been set aside to address the existing backlog of critical maintenance, repairs, and upgrades, while £102 million has been dedicated to upgrading GP surgeries across England as a first step towards transforming the primary care estate.
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