The government’s promised 40 “new” hospitals will never be built on time and are likely to be too small even if they are ever completed, a damning report from MPs has found.
The scheme, a key campaign promise of former prime minister Boris Johnson, was characterized by “slower progress and higher costs than promised”, according to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The group of MPs also raised concerns about the “lack of progress” in the program and called on ministers to deliver some “tangible results for patients”.
MPs said it was “clear” that the program “will not complete all 40 new hospitals by 2030 and it is unlikely that even the 32 new hospitals (as defined for 2020) that it currently wants to be built will be built.”
Even if new hospitals are built, most will likely be too small to meet future needs, the report says.
The conclusion stated: “NPP [New Hospitals Programme] The team assumes future bed occupancy rates will be 95 percent and patient lengths of stay will be reduced, which is not supported by the studies it commissioned. These assumptions seem particularly heroic in the context of Britain’s growing and aging population, where there is still no social care plan to ease the growing pressure on hospitals.”
The PAC said the government was aware in 2020 that seven hospitals were built using reinforced concrete (Raac) which had become structurally unstable, but at that time only two had been selected for inclusion in the programme. MPs have called on the government to “move faster” in tackling RAA in hospitals.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) insists it is “on track” and will deliver on its pledge to build 40 new hospitals in England by 2030.
In May, the DHSC “winded down” the program and said five additional hospitals would be redeveloped under the NHP using Raac by 2030. However, in its latest report, the PAC said the “program reset” had led to delays at a further eight hospitals that would not be completed until 2030.
It is the second major report to question the program after the government’s spending watchdog raised serious concerns about its progress.
In the new report, MPs also said there were “several accessibility issues” associated with the project. “DHSC appears to have insufficient funds to build all its planned hospitals of sufficient size by 2030,” they wrote.
They say the looting of capital budgets in the recent past is “the root cause of the housing crisis currently facing the NHS”.
NHS England has a £10.2 billion maintenance backlog and officials have just announced a new attack on construction and technology budgets to fill the financial gap left by the strikes that have hit England’s health system since December last year.
Dame Meg Hillier, chair of the committee, said: “The physical structure of the NHS is literally crumbling before our eyes. There is nothing inevitable about this heartbreaking crisis. This could be a direct reason for the decision to reallocate maintenance and investment budgets towards day-to-day expenses.
“The stark difference between the capital budget and the revenue budget exists for a reason. We are now seeing the consequences of this short-term thinking for patients and services. “Under such circumstances, it is extremely unfortunate to report on the current state of NHP.
“Apart from the fact that the planned new hospitals risk being too small for future purposes, funds do not even appear to be sufficient to build them in a timely manner, all due to deficiencies in basic record keeping and new and pressing problems. Raak is responsible for these risks. . “While we are not confident that the NHP will deliver on its current promises, we hope that the recommendations in our report will help get it back on track – for the benefit of all citizens who desperately need the NHS to improve quickly. “
Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said: “Ministers must heed warnings that the planned hospitals may be too small for future health and care needs.”
“NHS trusts have long called for large, planned and long-term public investment to transform their estates and deliver sustainable healthcare. Without this, the NHS will not be able to improve productivity and provide safe, quality care in modern settings.”
The Department of Health and Human Services has been contacted for comment.
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I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.