Figures released by NHS Digital for the period April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025 show that the cost to eliminate backlog maintenance across the NHS estate in England has reached a new high of £15.9 billion, an increase of 15.7%. Even more worrying is the significant increase in high risk backlog, which goes up by 27.8% to £3.5bn, whilst significant risk backlog also jumps by 14.2% to £5.6bn.
Responding to the latest ERIC data, Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive, NHS Providers, says: “Critical parts of the NHS are falling to bits, literally, after years of underinvestment nationally. The safety of patients and staff is at risk.
"We can’t keep wasting money propping up ageing buildings not fit for purpose. We welcome the Government’s commitment to increasing capital investment across the NHS but we need to be able spend more of the NHS budget on modern facilities and up-to-date technology.
"Eye-watering sums are needed just to patch up buildings and equipment which are in a very bad way right across hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services. We need to make the NHS as modern and winter-proof as possible but the waiting list of essential repairs keeps getting longer and costs are soaring.”
In September, NHS Providers hosted a round table of 24 NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts, focusing on capital investment. Supported by PA Consulting, a new report based on those discussions, outlines solutions for this problem, at the forefront of which are changes to Government capital spending rules.
Other headline figures
The ERIC data shows no significant change in other key areas:
• Total cost of running the NHS estate: £14bn (£13.6bn in 2023/4)
• Total energy consumption across the NHS estate: £11.3bn (£11.1bn in 2023/4)
• Total cost of cleaning services: £1.6bn (£1.5bn in 2023/4)
• Total cost of providing inpatient food: £0.8bn (no change)
