40 new hospitals - a reality or a pipe dream?

The Government has insisted that plans to build 48 ‘new’ hospitals by 2030 will still go ahead, despite widespread concerns over timelines and increasing construction costs.

In its 2019 manifesto, the Conservative Party announced the New Hospitals Programme, a pledge to build 48 new hospitals across the country, including eight schemes that had been announced by previous governments.

However, since then, the number has been seemingly interchangeable, with the Government, in a response to questions from BBH, referring to just 40 developments in total, even though the GM Government website clearly mentions 48.

And, to date, just two of those projects have been completed, while only five others are under construction.

The remaining schemes are still in the planning or approval stages, and this, combined with rising inflation and construction costs and a shortage of building materials, has led to concerns that they will not go ahead.

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Source: Building Better Healthcare, 28 November 2022