Boris Johnson’s pledge to build 40 ‘new hospitals’ faces Watchdog probe

Boris Johnson’s election pledge to build 40 new hospitals in England by 2030 is facing a review by the Government’s official spending watchdog.

The National Audit Office (NAO) is planning a “value for money review” that could consider increasing costs due to spiralling inflation and whether the hospitals will in fact be new. The investigation emerged in a letter to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting from NAO comptroller Gareth Davies after the Labour MP warned of a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Mr Streeting had asked for an investigation into delays surrounding the programme announced by the Prime Minister in the 2019 general election campaign. The Labour MP said many NHS trusts are still awaiting funds to be allocated and many are in fact alterations or refurbishments not “new hospitals”.

In the letter first reported by the Observer, Mr Davies responded: “I can confirm that I already have plans to start a value for money review of the New Hospitals Programme later this year and to report my findings during 2023.

“I have passed your letter to my Health Value for Money team so it can consider the specific issues you raised as it develops the scope of the review. In particular, I note your comments about the implications of delay for increasing costs at this time of high inflation and the matter of whether all projects truly meet the classification of ‘new hospitals’.”

The NAO’s work threatens to cast further doubts over Mr Johnson’s ability to deliver on his promises, as he fights a series of scandals including partygate and allegations of sexual misconduct levelled at Tory MPs. Commenting on the investigation, Mr Streeting said: “The only place these ’40 new hospitals’ currently exist is in Boris Johnson’s imagination. The election manifesto promise now looks to be another example of the Conservatives overpromising and underdelivering.”

The Conservative manifesto clearly stated that they would “build and fund 40 new hospitals over the next 10 years”. The Government website lists the new 40 hospitals as follows:

List of 40 hospitals

Scheme	Site	Region	Trust	Details
In build (4)	1. Midland Metropolitan Hospital	Midlands	Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust	The new Midland Metropolitan hospital will bring together urgent care services from 3 hospitals across the region into one state-of-the-art site, promoting better patient safety and care while ensuring value for money.
	2. Cumberland Cancer Hospital	North East & Yorkshire	North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust	To establish a modern oncology hospital with the equipment and facilities to comply with national service specifications, transforming cancer care services for patients across North Cumbria.
	3. Royal Liverpool Hospital	North West	Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Development of a new hospital to replace the current Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
	4. 3Ts Hospital, Brighton	South East	Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust	Three-phase building works to deliver a Regional Centre for Teaching, Trauma and Tertiary Care at Royal Sussex County Hospital
Pending Final Approval (4)	5. Moorfields Eye Hospital	London	Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	A new eye care, research and education facility, Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
	6. Northgate Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland	North East & Yorkshire	Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Northgate hospital to provide single integrated secure service centre of excellence, and the re-provision of Newcastle and Gateshead adult acute inpatient services at St Nicholas Hospital, Newcastle. Reprovision of Children’s and Young People’s medium secure inpatient services to Ferndene, Prudhoe, Northumberland.
	7. Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital	North West	Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust	To provide an additional non-elective, high-acuity hospital to support Greater Manchester Major Trauma Service and the transfer of high-acuity surgery.
	8. Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre	Midlands	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	To build a national rehabilitation centre at Stanford Hall, near Loughborough.
HIP 1 (6)	9. Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow	East of England	Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust	A new integrated, high-tech healthcare campus to replace the aging Princess Alexandra Hospital.
	10. Watford General Hospital	East of England	West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust	Rebuilding Watford General, including women & children’s services.
	11. Whipps Cross University Hospital, North East London	London	Barts Health NHS Trust	A new hospital at Whipps Cross, providing a range of patient services including emergency and maternity.
	12. Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals	London	Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust	A new major hospital for Epsom General Hospital and St Helier Hospital.
	13. University Hospitals of Leicester	Midlands	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust	Rebuild at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Glenfield & new facilities at Leicester General.
	14. Leeds General Infirmary	North East & Yorkshire	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	Centralising children’s and adult services at LGI with pathology services at St James University Hospital.
HIP 2 (25)	15. West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds	East of England	West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust	To rebuild West Suffolk Hospital, replace poor estate and provide a better patient environment at West Suffolk Hospital
	16. East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	To provide a new hospital at Eastbourne; new medical wards and refurbishment at Conquest; new clinical building at Bexhill.
	17. Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading	South East	Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Royal Berkshire to replace ageing estate to tackle significant critical backlog.
	18. Milton Keynes Hospital	East of England	Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	To build a new women and children’s hospital at Milton Keynes hospital.
	19. The Hillingdon Hospital, North West London	London	Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Hillingdon Hospital to replace ageing estate to tackle significant critical backlog.
	20. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	New hospital at Basingstoke & North Hampshire Hospital and major refurbishment at Royal Hampshire Hospital in Winchester.
	21. St Ann’s Hospital, Dorset	South West	Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust	New build on existing site for Child and Adult Mental Health Services in Dorset.
	22. North Manchester General Hospital	North West	Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust	Rebuild of North Manchester General Hospital provide new healthcare facilities to replace poor estate and provide better patient environment.
	23. Dorchester Community Hospital, Dorset	South West	Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust	New build of Dorchester Community Hospital on site and also to build new ED and ICU. Service model sees better integration of the DGH with GP and community services in a new hospital.
	24. Poole Community Hospital, Dorset	South West	Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Poole Community hospital with theatres and sterile services. Part of the ‘One Dorset Estate’ which links acute and community services to reduce pressure.
	25. North Devon District Hospital	South West	Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust	Rebuild of North Devon District Hospital to provide new healthcare facilities to replace ageing estate and enable the delivery of new models of care at.
	26. James Paget Hospital , Great Yarmouth	East of England	James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of James Paget Hospital.
	27. Kettering General Hospital	Midlands	Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Kettering General. Options being developed to move to a hot/cold configuration or a single site rebuild.
	28. Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham City Hospital	Midlands	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	Rebuild of both the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital sites.
	29. Royal Preston and Lancaster Royal Infirmary	North West	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay	Planned replacement of Royal Preston and Lancaster Royal Infirmary, where subject to consultation either a single or two hospitals with appropriate re-provision of 3 community urgent care hubs and 3 out of hospital hubs will result.
	30. Bournemouth Community Hospital, Dorset	South West	Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Bournemouth Community Hospital
	31. Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton	South West	Somerset NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Musgrove Park Hospital
	32. Torbay District General, Torquay	South West	Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Torbay Hospital. New smaller acute ‘hot’ hospital, a ‘cold’ elective centre and monies for a collaborative North East South elective centre all underpinned by an EPR system and technology enabled care.
	33. Addenbrookes Cancer hospital	East of England	Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	New cancer hospital at Addenbrookes
	34. Royal United Bath Hospital	South West	Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Foundation Trust	A new Cancer Hospital, completing a programme of phased capital work at the Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) which has specifically aimed to deliver a new Cancer Hospital, reduce critical areas of organisational risk and improve the quality of the environment for service delivery across the northern part of the Combe Park estate
	35. Cornwall Children’s Hospital	South West	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust	New Women’s and Children’s Hospital in the centre of the Royal Cornwall Hospital site in Truro.
	36. Derriford Emergency Care Hospital	South West	Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust	A new integrated emergency care hospital, bringing all urgent care into one emergency care hospital, with dedicated areas for children and frail patients.
	37. St Mary’s Hospital, London	London	Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust	Rebuild of St Mary’s Paddington
	38. Charing Cross Hospital, London	London	Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust	Rebuild of Hammersmith Hospital, new clinical academic redevelopment near ICL White City Campus, co-located with Imperial College biomedical campus at White City. Major floor-by-floor refurbishment of Charing Cross.
	39. Christchurch Community hospital, Dorset	South West	Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust	Rebuild of Christchurch Community hospital, Implementing. Consolidating services into new community hubs, with associated investment in DGH and mental health care.
1 additional	40. Shotley Bridge Hospital, Durham	North East & Yorkshire	County Durham	New hospital including inpatient beds, with unscheduled care, outpatient activity, chemotherapy and diagnostics to replace the existing Shotley Bridge Hospital.
Open competition	Competition to find 8 further new schemes	Various	Various	Competition for 8 further hospitals including new Mental Health Hospitals

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