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Half of new hospitals promised by Boris Johnson will not be built for years Half of new hospitals promised by Boris Johnson will not be built for years
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Exclusive: Labour to announce delay to many of 40 planned projects as costs spiral to estimated £30bnExclusive: Labour to announce delay to many of 40 planned projects as costs spiral to estimated £30bn
At least half of the 40 new hospitals pledged by Boris Johnson will not be built for many years, the Guardian has learned, in a move decried as “devastating” for staff and patients.At least half of the 40 new hospitals pledged by Boris Johnson will not be built for many years, the Guardian has learned, in a move decried as “devastating” for staff and patients.
Labour will announce that many of the crumbling NHS hospitals in England that were due to be replaced by 2030 will not be completed according to the original timeframe.Labour will announce that many of the crumbling NHS hospitals in England that were due to be replaced by 2030 will not be completed according to the original timeframe.
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, will blame the Conservatives for bequeathing Labour a huge infrastructure project that was budgeted only until this March and for which costs have spiralled to an estimated £30bn. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, will blame the Conservatives for bequeathing Labour a huge infrastructure project that was budgeted only until this March and for which costs have soared to an estimated £30bn.
The announcement, likely to be made early next week, will leave about 20 rebuilds in limbo, forcing many patients to continue being treated in increasingly dangerous environments and buildings that are unfit for purpose. The announcement, likely to be made early next week, will leave many trusts anxious that patients will continue being treated in dangerous environments and buildings that are unfit for purpose.
The heads of the affected trusts will be infuriated and the decision could prompt criticism from local MPs when a government review of the programme is published.The heads of the affected trusts will be infuriated and the decision could prompt criticism from local MPs when a government review of the programme is published.
In September, Streeting said that 12 of the 40 projects, which included new buildings within hospitals and refurbishments, could go ahead, including seven facing the risk of imminent collapse because they contain Raac concrete.In September, Streeting said that 12 of the 40 projects, which included new buildings within hospitals and refurbishments, could go ahead, including seven facing the risk of imminent collapse because they contain Raac concrete.
But he also ordered a review into the cost, viability and timescale of proceeding with 25 others which involve ageing and decrepit hospitals, parts of which are falling apart and increasingly disrupting care for patients.But he also ordered a review into the cost, viability and timescale of proceeding with 25 others which involve ageing and decrepit hospitals, parts of which are falling apart and increasingly disrupting care for patients.
Only a handful of those 25 – possibly five or fewer – will now go ahead by 2030, sources say, because ministers cannot find the money to proceed. The delays follow detailed scrutiny by the Treasury, the Department of Health and NHS England, which has included the money involved. The cost will now be spread over a longer period.
Streeting will say that the delayed redevelopments will happen eventually and give revised costs for the programme. Many works are already well advanced and trusts say that all are desperately needed.Streeting will say that the delayed redevelopments will happen eventually and give revised costs for the programme. Many works are already well advanced and trusts say that all are desperately needed.
The Treasury – which is wrestling with grim public finances – has played a key role in drastically scaling back the new hospitals programme (NHP). The projects being downgraded will be “kicked into the long grass” and will only go ahead at some unspecified point in the future. The Treasury – which is wrestling with grim public finances – has played a key role in drastically scaling back the new hospitals programme (NHP).
Siva Anandaciva, the director of policy at the King’s Fund health thinktank, said: “While we need to wait for the full details of the review, it will be devastating to staff and patients to hear that plans to rebuild local hospitals might be kicked so far into the long grass, with real doubts now over whether some of these deprioritised hospitals will be rebuilt at all. Siva Anandaciva, the director of policy at the King’s Fund health thinktank, said: “While we need to wait for the full details of the review … Pausing or delaying plans to rebuild hospitals is likely to be a false economy [as] many hospitals are already spending significant amounts of taxpayers’ funding trying to maintain sub-standard buildings.
“Pausing or delaying plans to rebuild hospitals is also likely to be a false economy [as] many hospitals are already spending significant amounts of taxpayers’ funding trying to maintain sub-standard buildings.” “It is absolutely clear that the knackered condition of some NHS buildings and equipment in both hospital and out-of-hospital settings is harming patients and staff and hampering attempts to improve NHS productivity.”
The Liberal Democrats said abandoning longstanding plans to rebuild the 40 hospitals as expected “would be completely unacceptable”.The Liberal Democrats said abandoning longstanding plans to rebuild the 40 hospitals as expected “would be completely unacceptable”.
“Patients in these communities have been told that these hospitals will rescue their local health services. To deny them what they were promised and the better care that they deserve would be completely unacceptable,” said Helen Morgan, the party’s health and social care spokesperson.“Patients in these communities have been told that these hospitals will rescue their local health services. To deny them what they were promised and the better care that they deserve would be completely unacceptable,” said Helen Morgan, the party’s health and social care spokesperson.
She added: “The state of this programme is a shocking indictment of the contempt that the Conservative party held for patients in these communities. But the new Labour government’s lack of ambition for them is equally shocking.She added: “The state of this programme is a shocking indictment of the contempt that the Conservative party held for patients in these communities. But the new Labour government’s lack of ambition for them is equally shocking.
“To kick these projects into the long grass and put them in the too difficult pile displays everything wrong with ministers’ attitude to the health service.” “To kick these projects into the long grass and put them in the too-difficult pile displays everything wrong with ministers’ attitude to the health service.”
Hospitals whose futures have been considered by the review are regularly being hit by problems caused by the fragile state of their infrastructure as a result of repeated delays and uncertainty surrounding the programme.Hospitals whose futures have been considered by the review are regularly being hit by problems caused by the fragile state of their infrastructure as a result of repeated delays and uncertainty surrounding the programme.
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For example, Epsom and St Helier trust in Surrey had to cancel almost 300 eye operations last summer when its operating theatre ventilation system failed. Similarly, the Princess Alexandra hospital in Essex closed two operating theatres for weeks, and cancelled 36 operations, because air handling units failed, the Health Service Journal reported. Epsom and St Helier trust in Surrey had to cancel almost 300 eye operations last summer when its operating theatre ventilation system failed. Similarly, the Princess Alexandra hospital in Essex closed two operating theatres for weeks, and cancelled 36 operations, because air handling units failed, the Health Service Journal reported.
In a letter in September to every MP in England announcing the review, Streeting warned that the NHP was likely to be scaled back, with some projects delayed for many years.In a letter in September to every MP in England announcing the review, Streeting warned that the NHP was likely to be scaled back, with some projects delayed for many years.
Streeting said: “Because we inherited a programme that was unfunded beyond March 2025 and a wider fiscal inheritance that was hugely challenging, we may have to consider rephasing schemes so that they can be taken forward as fiscal conditions allow.Streeting said: “Because we inherited a programme that was unfunded beyond March 2025 and a wider fiscal inheritance that was hugely challenging, we may have to consider rephasing schemes so that they can be taken forward as fiscal conditions allow.
“A structured and agreed rolling investment approach will mean proceeding with these schemes will be subject to investment decisions at future spending reviews.”“A structured and agreed rolling investment approach will mean proceeding with these schemes will be subject to investment decisions at future spending reviews.”
The risks from crumbling hospitals is now so great that some are “outright dangerous”, Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, has said.The risks from crumbling hospitals is now so great that some are “outright dangerous”, Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, has said.
Some hospitals which are falling apart, such as Stepping Hill in Stockport, are not included in the NHP’s list of 40 schemes, despite having major problems. Some hospitals which are falling apart, such as Stepping Hill in Stockport, are not included in the NHP’s list of 40 schemes, despite having severe problems.
The NHS’s lack of capital funding to repair and rebuild facilities that are beyond the end of their natural life was illustrated last week when Barking and Havering NHS trust in Essex put up posters in Queen’s hospital in Romford asking patients to write to their local MPs – one of whom is Streeting – asking them to support its effort to raise £35m to extend its A&E. It is so overcrowded that it sometimes has to cope with double the 350 patients a day it was built to accommodate. It is also not in the new hospitals programme.The NHS’s lack of capital funding to repair and rebuild facilities that are beyond the end of their natural life was illustrated last week when Barking and Havering NHS trust in Essex put up posters in Queen’s hospital in Romford asking patients to write to their local MPs – one of whom is Streeting – asking them to support its effort to raise £35m to extend its A&E. It is so overcrowded that it sometimes has to cope with double the 350 patients a day it was built to accommodate. It is also not in the new hospitals programme.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We will publish the outcome of the NHP review shortly, but we are committed to delivering all of the hospital projects.A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We will publish the outcome of the NHP review shortly, but we are committed to delivering all of the hospital projects.
“The new hospital programme we inherited was undeliverable, with the funding due to run out in March 2025. We are working up a timeline that is affordable and honest, and will announce the outcome of the review in due course.”“The new hospital programme we inherited was undeliverable, with the funding due to run out in March 2025. We are working up a timeline that is affordable and honest, and will announce the outcome of the review in due course.”