Yesterday, (Monday, January 20), the government set out its plans for the New Hospital Programme, following its review of the scheme, and confirmed that all hospitals in the project will go ahead.
Its conclusion that the commitment from the previous government to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030 was behind schedule, unfunded and undeliverable, was backed by the annual report from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, published on Thursday (January 16). It said: “There are major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable. The project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed.”
In a statement to Parliament yesterday, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Our review of the new hospital programme and the announcement I am making today will do two things: first, it will put the programme on a firm footing with sustainable funding, so that all the projects can be delivered; and, secondly, it will give patients an honest, realistic and deliverable timetable that they can believe in. This Labour Government are rebuilding our NHS, and as we do so, we will also rebuild trust in politics.”
New timetable
• Wave 0 - projects that are already advanced and will be completed within the next three years: The Bamburgh Unit in Gosforth, phase 3 of the Care Environment Development and Reprovision, or CEDAR programme; the National Rehabilitation Centre in Nottinghamshire; Oriel Eye Hospital; Royal Bournemouth Hospital; St Ann’s Hospital; Alumhurst Road Children’s Mental Health Unit; and Dorset County Hospital.
• Wave 1 schemes include the seven RAAC hospitals and are expected to begin construction between 2025 and 2030. RAAC hospitals: Leighton Hospital; West Suffolk Hospital; Frimley Park Hospital; Hinchingbrooke Hospital; Queen Elizabeth Hospital; James Paget Hospital; and Airedale General Hospital. Also in Wave 1 are: Poole Hospital, Milton Keynes Hospital; the 3Ts Hospital – trauma, tertiary and training – in Brighton; the Women and Children’s Hospital, Cornwall; Derriford Emergency Care Hospital; Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital; Shotley Bridge Community Hospital; North Manchester General Hospital; and Hillingdon Hospital.
• Wave 2 schemes are expected to begin main construction between 2030 and 2035: Leicester General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary; Watford General Hospital; the Specialist and Emergency Care Hospital in Sutton; Kettering General Hospital; Leeds General Infirmary; Musgrove Park Hospital; Princess Alexandra Hospital; Torbay Hospital; and Whipps Cross Hospital.
• Wave 3 schemes are expected to start construction between 2035 and 2039: St Mary’s Hospital in London; Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital; North Devon District Hospital; Eastbourne District General Hospital, Conquest Hospital and Bexhill Hospital; Hampshire Hospitals; Royal Berkshire Hospital; Royal Preston Hospital; the Royal Lancaster Infirmary; and the Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital.
New framework
Mr Streeting also announced the launch of a new framework for construction of the schemes, promising a “different way of contracting by working in partnership with industry to mitigate cost, schedule and delivery risks and saving money through a standardised design approach.” This approach aims to speed up the process of delivering and opening new hospitals, and provide a “foundation for a collaborative supply-chain partnership.” A programme delivery partner is to be appointed in the coming weeks.
He also acknowledged that some will be disappointed by this new timetable, blaming the previous government for: “promising hospitals with no credible plan for funding to deliver them.”
New funding
Setting out how the New Hospital Programme will now be funded, Mr Streeting said the government has secured five-year waves of investment: “backed by £15 billion of investment over consecutive waves, averaging £3 billion a year.” This is in addition to the £1 billion announced at the Budget to tackle dangerous RAAC and the backlog of critical maintenance, repairs and upgrades, and the £1.5 billion that is being invested in surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners and beds.
Morag Stuart, Chief Programme Officer for the New Hospital Programme, says: “This announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care provides certainty on the next steps for the New Hospital Programme. We will continue to work with local NHS organisations to deliver improvements to hospitals across England, including making best use of new technology and improving layouts – and ensuring future hospitals are designed to meet the needs of patients and staff.”
