The Prime Minister has confirmed for the first time 40 hospitals that will be built by 2030 as part of a package worth £3.7 billion, with eight further new schemes invited to bid, delivering on the government’s manifesto commitment.
New standards will be developed over the coming months to help standardise the design of new hospitals and make use of modular construction methods to speed up the build.
The Health Infrastructure Plan is the biggest hospital building programme in a generation. It launched last September with a £2.8 billion investment that gave six new hospitals the funding to go ahead, alongside seed funding for Trusts to work up business cases.
The Trusts that received seed funding will now all be fully funded to deliver 25 new hospitals.
The long-term investment in these new hospitals will ensure the NHS can continue to provide world-class care right across the country in the years to come.
Following the news that West Hertfordshire NHS Hospital Trust will receive significant funding to redevelop it’s three sites, with Watford General being at the heart of these plans, Watford’s MP Dean Russell said:
“I am delighted that the excellent staff at Watford General will be able to work in 21st Century facilities. The staff do an amazing job, and they deserve world class facilities to match the level of care that they provide. With the funding that is on offer, up to 90% of the buildings will be new which will vastly improve the patient experience.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The dedication and tireless efforts of our nurses, doctors and all healthcare workers have kept the NHS open throughout this pandemic. But no matter what this virus throws at us we are determined to build back better and deliver the biggest hospital building programme in a generation.
“From Morpeth to Milton Keynes, we are building 40 new hospitals across England to level up our NHS so more people have top-class healthcare services in their local area.”
After commending the hard work of the staff and Watford's MP, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We protected the NHS through the peak of Coronavirus. Today we recommit to protect the NHS for years to come with the 40 new hospitals we will build over the next decade.
“I love the NHS and I will do all I can to make sure it is there for you and your family over the years to come. The biggest hospital building programme in a generation will help protect the NHS long into the future.”
Alongside this, as announced last year 20 hospitals will receive a share of £850 million to upgrade outdated facilities and equipment, with enabling works already beginning at several sites.
Over the summer the Prime Minister announced £1.5 billion funding in capital funding for the NHS, including £450 million for 142 A&E upgrades ahead of winter to improve infection control and increase capacity.
This investment will be on top of the record extra £33.9 billion a year by 2023 to 2024 that the government is providing to the NHS, and passed into law this year.
Alongside work to deliver the Government’s Manifesto commitment on 40 new hospitals, progress is also being made on delivering 50,000 more nurses, with over 14,100 more working in the NHS compared to last year, as well as over 9,200 more doctors.
