Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Denis Campbell, Health Policy Editor

NHS faces £5.7bn bill for patching up hospitals before demolishing them

Boris Johnson waves after visiting a hospital when he was prime minister in 2019.
Boris Johnson visiting Torbay Hospital in Devon in August 2019 when he was prime minister; he promised that 40 new hospitals would be built but work will not start until at least 2030. Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Reuters

The repairs bill at 18 crumbling hospitals is set to soar to £5.7bn because replacing them will take so long, new analysis shows.

Reconstruction of 18 of the 40 new hospitals in England first promised by Boris Johnson in 2019 will not start until at least 2030 – the date by which all 40 were originally meant to open – to help spread the cost, amid stretched public finances.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.