A significant number of hospital building projects across England are facing delays, with some slated to begin as late as 2032 or even 2039, according to government announcements. This revelation comes in the wake of a 2019 Conservative election promise to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030, a pledge now deemed financially unfeasible by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Streeting accused the Conservatives of offering “false hope” with their initial plans. “The programme we inherited was unfunded and undeliverable,” said the Health Secretary. “Not a single new hospital was built in the past five years, and there was no credible funding plan to build forty in the next five years. Today we are setting out an honest, funded, and deliverable programme to rebuild our NHS.” He further announced that £15 billion would be allocated over the next five years to support the revised plans.
The controversy intensified as Labour, which had previously approved 21 hospital schemes in September, unveiled additional plans on Monday. The latest proposal includes another seven projects slated to begin construction by 2029. However, 18 projects are now deferred to start between 2032 and 2035, with some potentially delayed until 2039.
Shadow Health Secretary Ed Argar criticized the government’s approach, accusing them of financial mismanagement and breaking promises. “To govern is to choose,” Argar remarked. “He [Streeting] has decided not to prioritise the delivery of new hospitals.”
Helen Morgan of the Liberal Democrats expressed strong disapproval, describing the situation as a “double betrayal.” She added, “The Conservatives shamelessly made promises they never intended to keep. Now this government uses the day of Trump’s inauguration in a shoddy attempt to bury bad news, showing an outrageous disregard for patients.”
The delays have also sparked concerns within the healthcare sector. Saffron Cordery, representing NHS Providers, labeled the announcement a “major blow” to trusts, staff, and patients alike.
In 2023, the National Audit Office had already warned that the government was unlikely to meet its 2030 target for hospital construction. While the original promise encompassed 40 hospitals, additional projects were gradually included in the programme over time.
The newly approved projects are part of an effort to replace buildings constructed from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), which has raised safety concerns.
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