Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the NHS estate for delivering healthcare needs; and what assessment he has made of areas in which the estate should be prioritised for upgrade.
Individual National Health Service organisations are legally responsible for maintaining their estates. The Government has been clear that it expects NHS organisations to use existing capital budgets and assets to maximum effect.
At the Spending Review 2021, the Department backed the NHS with substantial operational capital investment for trusts to prioritise and deliver locally to maintain and refurbish their premises.
The Government is investing record sums to upgrade and modernise NHS buildings so staff have the facilities needed to provide world-class care for patients, including £4 billion this year and £12 billion over the next three years.
We remain committed to all schemes that have been announced as part of the New Hospital Programme, the biggest hospital building programme in a generation, as well as over 70 hospital upgrades across England.