AN UPDATE on the New Hospital Programme (NHP) has been given, reiterating that the funding for Basingstoke hospital is not included in the overall budget for the scheme.

The update, published by the House of Commons Library - which provides impartial research and information - on February 21, refers to the eight schemes in cohort 4 of the NHP which have been delayed until after 2030, which includes Basingstoke hospital.

It confirms that these are not included in the £22.2bn for the whole NHP scheme, saying: “With the delivery of eight projects now delayed until after 2030, additional funding will be needed at a later date.”

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The eight hospitals in cohort 4 were pushed back because seven new hospitals were added to the programme that need rebuilding because they contain reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC). These were given priority because of the safety risk posed, meaning eight schemes including Basingstoke were delayed.

The Treasury initially allocated £3.7bn in a 2020 Spending Review for the four years to 2024/25. More recently, the Treasury indicated that maximum funding for 2025/26 to 2030/31 will be £18.5bn – an amount that is subject to future spending reviews – bringing the total funding to £22.2bn.

However, because the scope of the NHP has changed and now includes the RAAC hospitals, the House of Commons Library said that this is expected to increase the overall costs, as these are likely to be expensive to replace – on average more than £1bn per hospital.

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With the delivery of eight projects also delayed until after 2030, the House of Commons Library said “additional funding will be needed at a later date”.

The update said that the Government "remains committed to all projects that have already been announced as part of the programme". 

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller has repeatedly been asked questions about the funding and to address the concern that Basingstoke is not included in the £22.2bn funding for the NHP.

She is yet to specifically answer questions on this and has not responded to the Gazette’s request for an interview.