Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that vacant NHS property is brought back into use as health and social care facilities.

The Department has a well-established policy approach to National Health Service land and assets and works with NHS organisations to optimise the use of their existing estate. Under this approach, NHS land and buildings should first and foremost support the delivery of healthcare services.

While the Department sets the national policy direction, NHS trusts and NHS property companies are the legal owners and are responsible for managing land and property locally. This includes assessing whether assets should be retained for service delivery, brought back into use through investment or, where no longer required, disposed of.

Where land or buildings are no longer needed or are no longer suitable for health or social care purposes, they may be sold, with disposal receipts retained by the owning NHS organisation for local reinvestment and estate modernisation. Where appropriate, surplus land and buildings can also support the delivery of new homes and regeneration in local communities.