Patient care hit by disrepair in NHS buildings

Disrepair in NHS buildings led to thousands of potentially-harmful incidents last year including critically ill patients being moved when rainfall came through the ceiling.

Sewage leaks, floods and failing equipment also featured in incident records obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act.

Health chiefs called on the government to nearly double its capital spending.

The government said "significant sums" had been invested to modernise the NHS.

Heath Secretary Victoria Atkins said the government accepted that some hospital buildings "are not as we would wish them to be" but added that it was for NHS chief executives to decide how to spend the money.

According to NHS data, the care of more than 2,600 acute hospital patients was disrupted last year by estates and infrastructure failure.

The NHS Confederation, which represents trusts, has published a report setting out what health care leaders want the next government to prioritise.

It has called on the government to increase capital spending on the health service from £7.7bn to £14.1bn.

Matthew Taylor, its chief executive, said: "Put simply, a lack of capital funding can leave patients at risk."

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 21 February 2024