Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what operational savings his Department has identified from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital that may be applicable to schemes planned under the New Hospital Programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The New Hospital Programme (NHP) continues to learn lessons from early schemes that were delivered through the programme, including the Royal Liverpool Hospital (RLH) scheme. Lessons are embedded into the standardised approach of the NHP, Hospital 2.0, to ensure we provide health infrastructure that is fit for the future.
The RLH scheme was designed without the assistance of our standardised approach, Hospital 2.0. We have learnt from the initial challenges that the scheme faced upon opening, specifically the workforce adjusting to the 100% single rooms. We have factored this into our standardised approach, ensuring that in future, digitisation and the use of technology can mitigate and support the workforce in new models of care.
The programme continues to collect data, including on workforce, to inform our standardised approach. RLH have also reported their most improved survey results since moving into their new facility and a significant reduction in hospital acquired infections.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether operational savings secured from hospitals built to Hospital 2.0 standard under the New Hospital Programme: Plan for Implementation will be redirected to support the increased maintenance costs of hospital projects delayed under Wave 2 and Wave 3 of the New Hospital Programme Review.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is investing £30 billion over five years, from 2025/26 to 2029/30, in the day-to-day maintenance and repair of the National Health Service estate.
It is for trusts and integrated care boards to manage operational budgets, as the New Hospital Programme does not redistribute operational savings.
As set out in the Government’s 10 Year Infrastructure Plan, we are also providing a further five years of funding certainty for NHS estates maintenance, providing the confidence needed for long-term investment decisions and estates strategy.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) the Programme Team of New Hospital Programme has adequate levels of staff and (b) staffing vacancies do not delay the implementation of that programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The New Hospital Programme (NHP) is a major Government programme and recognises the need to recruit, develop, and retain people with the specialist skills necessary to deliver the programme’s objectives. We recognise that having the right level of staff is integral to delivering the programme.
The NHP remains committed to increasing its in-house resource and the programme continues to recruit into priority posts, ensuring delivery remains on track. The programme has appointed the Health Delivery Partnership, which has strengthened the capacity of the programme, giving flexibility to move teams around where expertise is required.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the capacity within the construction industry to build schemes planned under the New Hospital Programme on schedule.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Through the New Hospital Programme’s commercial strategy and Hospital 2.0 Alliance we are increasing the capacity in the construction industry to support the construction of new hospital schemes.
The programme is providing a clear and stable pipeline of construction projects, with opportunities for concurrent builds, and strengthening domestic and international appetite to engage with the programme.
The Hospital 2.0 Alliance will provide a commercial environment that protects the supply chain from adverse levels of risk, provides more consistent and predictable returns on projects, and rewards performance with profit.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled New Hospital Programme; Plan for Implementation, published on 20 January 2025, what the evidential basis is for the estimated cost for the rebuild of North Devon District Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The cost estimates in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) Plan for Implementation are for planning purposes, and the total cost of each scheme is subject to the approval of its Full Business Case, as is standard for major infrastructure projects.
The North Devon District Hospital is part of Wave 3 of the NHP and is not due to commence construction until 2035 to 2038.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure the timely implementation of Wave 0, Wave 1 and Wave 2 hospital schemes planned under the New Hospital Programme impacting Wave 3 schemes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The New Hospital Programme (NHP) Plan for Implementation sets out a credible plan, timeline, and budget, that will see all schemes in the programme delivered. We are focussing on the delivery of Wave 1 schemes, including the seven hospitals predominantly built with reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete.
Through the NHP’s standardised approach, Hospital 2.0, we will build hospitals more quickly and cost-effectively. The programme will continually monitor progress against the plan to tailor support for schemes at different stages of readiness, including ongoing engagement to help navigate planning, progress enabling works and designs, and prepare for key approvals through business case process.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the detailed scoring of MCDA analysis conducted under the New Hospital Programme Review for individual schemes once those schemes have been completed.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our New Hospital Programme (NHP) Plan for Implementation, a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tool was used to support decision making and prioritisation of schemes, including the development of funding options.
The Department has no plans to release the detailed scoring as the published NHP Plan for Implementation provides a comprehensive explanation of how the MCDA tool was used in the NHP review and the outcome of this decision making is evident in the waves individual schemes have been put into.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will conduct a detailed assessment of the progress of individual schemes delivered under the New Hospital Programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Progress is continually monitored through regular reporting both within the New Hospital Programme (NHP) and into the Department, as is usual for major Government programmes. Furthermore, at each of the business case stages for main schemes, assessments are undertaken to assess deliverability. The NHP continues to work with individual trusts on the management of their schemes to make progress against the dates set out in the NHP Plan for Implementation.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many wave one schemes under the New Hospital Programme have begun construction.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Of the 16 schemes in Wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme (NHP), the Derriford Emergency Care Hospital commenced construction in October 2025. Poole Hospital and the remaining stages of Brighton 3Ts hospital (for the Sussex Cancer Centre) are in the pre-construction period and are expected to enter main construction later this year.
The remaining 13 schemes continue to progress to main construction commencing as set out in the plan for implementation, available at the following link:
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure patients moving between different regions of the UK are not disadvantaged in NHS waiting lists.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable that patients across the United Kingdom continue to wait lengthy periods for treatment, and it is imperative that the elective waiting list is a top priority for all four nations. These national standards apply across England, including the ambition that 92% of patients start treatment within 18 weeks of referral.
Local systems and providers have different access policies which dictate the steps that need to happen during a provider transfer. Some providers will accept a transfer of care, while others will require a new referral from primary care. To ensure that people are seen in accordance with clinical need, all waiting lists are subject to clinical prioritisation at a local level. The National Health Services triages patients waiting for elective care, including surgeries, ensuring the order in which patients are seen reflects clinical judgement on need as well as taking into account overall wait time. These steps aim to ensure that patients moving between regions are treated equitably and that waiting times are managed consistently.
Across England, patients have a right to request their local integrated care board find an alternative provider when they have been waiting, or expect to wait, over 18 weeks to begin treatment for consultant-led care.
Health is predominantly a devolved issue, with each UK nation operating its own NHS system, including separate waiting lists, and associated rules and guidance. Moving between countries generally means starting a new referral process under the designated nation’s system. However, similar prioritisation processes will occur to ensure that patients are seen and treated based on clinical need.