Sites unveiled for two hospital rebuilds in northern England only last month
NHS trusts have pressed pause on two hospital sites in northern England worth a combined 拢3.5bn following the government鈥檚 decision to delay the schemes past 2035.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust have suspended public engagement on the 拢2bn Royal Preston Hospital and the 拢1.5bn Royal Lancaster Infirmary, which will now not start until 2037 and 2035 at the earliest, respectively.
Proposed sites for the full replacement schemes had only been announced in December 2024, with a series of public engagement events for the schemes launching earlier this month.
The two trusts said: 鈥淚n light of the significant delay to the timeframes in which the new hospitals are expected to be built, the local NHS has made the difficult decision to suspend public engagement on the proposed sites.
鈥淭he planned programme of public events and independent market research will be cancelled until further notice.鈥�
Aaron Cummins, chief executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust said the delay was 鈥渄isappointing, but we accept the need for a fully costed and deliverable timeline of investment through the New Hospital Programme鈥�.
The move comes after health secretary Wes Streeting鈥檚 announcement on Monday of a revised timetable for the government鈥檚 拢20bn New Hospital Programme which will see 13 schemes delayed until at least 2035, five years after the original 2030 deadline set out by Boris Johnson in 2020.
Work on the 拢1.7bn redevelopment of St Mary鈥檚 Hospital in central London is now scheduled to start between 2035 and 2038, while eight of the schemes in the third and final wave of the programme may now not start until 2039 under the cost-saving measures.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust chief executive Tim Orchard said the delay to St Mary鈥檚 Hospital was 鈥渄evastating news for our communities, our staff and patients, and for the whole of the capital鈥檚 healthcare system.鈥�
鈥淲e understand that the Government鈥檚 New Hospital Programme must be affordable but the simple truth is that St Mary鈥檚 Hospital, in particular, will not last until the 2040s.鈥�
Orchard added: 鈥淲e need to digest the detail of today鈥檚 announcement, but we have to find a way to progress our schemes more quickly.
鈥淭his includes exploring alternative funding approaches, leveraging the value of our land that will be surplus to requirements and the significant contribution of our life science partnerships to local and national economic growth.鈥�
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said it was 鈥渆xtremely disappointed鈥� with the delay to the redevelopment of Royal Berkshire Hospital, now expected to start between 2035 and 2039, adding that staff and patients 鈥渄eserve better鈥�.
The Trust added: 鈥淭he condition of our current hospital presents challenges for staff and patients which we manage every day, to deliver safe, high quality healthcare services to our local communities despite these challenges.
鈥淲e will be seeking urgent meetings with NHS England and the New Hospital Programme team to explore the implications of the announcement.鈥�
Meanwhile, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Sam Higginson said the 鈥渘eed for urgent investment has not been fully recognised鈥� in Streeting鈥檚 review of the programme, which has delayed the redevelopment of North Devon District Hospital to at least 2035.
鈥淲e have spoken publicly about the risks in our ability to continue to deliver health and care services which meet both our current and future needs,鈥� Higginson said.
鈥淎s the most remote hospital in mainland England, investing in our hospital services is vital to ensure we can continue caring for our local population for years to come.鈥�
NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said on Monday that the timetable review had come as a 鈥渕ajor blow鈥� to trusts, staff, patients and communities.
The body鈥檚 chief executive Saffron Cordery said: 鈥淒espite a hugely welcome cash injection in the recent budget and further boost today, the fact remains that too many NHS buildings and facilities are in a terrible condition right now.鈥�
The government鈥檚 maintenance backlog on public sector buildings is now at least 拢49bn, according to the latest estimate by the National Audit Office.
In a report published yesterday, the government鈥檚 spending watching said Ministry of Defence properties, schools and NHS properties have a backlog totalling more than 拢10bn each and make up 88% of the total backlog.
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