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”.
