Eighteen of the 40 ‘new hospital’ schemes which were originally due to open in 2030 will now not even start construction until then – with some potentially facing a wait of until 2039 to even get spades in the ground.
NHS Providers said the announcement was a “major blow to trusts, their staff, patients, and communities, many of whom now face even longer delays getting desperately needed new hospitals”.
Interim CEO Saffron Cordery added: “Trusts who are part of the new hospital programme account for more than 40 per cent (£5.7bn) of the total bill for backlog repairs and maintenance. Today’s announcement will make a difficult situation even more challenging.
“While today’s announcement finally gives trusts some certainty and clarity over their long-awaited building projects, this is still a bitter pill to swallow.”
Source: HSJ, 20 January 2025
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