FOLLOWING The Gazette’s launch of a campaign to Build Our Hospital, here we provide background and explain why there is a need for this campaign.

Basingstoke was promised a new hospital in 2019 as part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme to build 40 new hospitals across the country.

But five years since that promise was made as part of the Government’s election manifesto, Basingstoke still does not have a new hospital and the project has been delayed until the 2030s.

READ MORE: Basingstoke Gazette launches campaign to Build Our Hospital

The Treasury has said that the maximum funding available for the New Hospital Programme is £22.2bn up to the year 2031. However, Basingstoke hospital is no longer included in this funding for the whole scheme. This is because the Government added seven new hospitals to the programme which have been given priority because they contain reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) and pose a safety risk.

This means that the Basingstoke scheme has been pushed back and is no longer included in the £22bn funding.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) have reassured Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) that it is committed to the project and that between £700m and £900m is ‘ringfenced’.

SEE ALSO: Government responds to funding fears for new Basingstoke hospital

However, the Treasury is yet to agree on the additional funds needed for the delayed hospitals in cohort 4, including Basingstoke.

HHFT has been given a small amount of funding from the NHP to begin work on its plans to build a new hospital, and the DHSC has said: “We would not have supported a move to public consultation if we were not confident that funding would be available for the programme.”

But with the already broken promise to build a new hospital in Basingstoke by 2030, the Government is now asking for trust that it will deliver on its promise for the future. 

Dame Maria has not responded to the Gazette's request for an interview or answered specific questions regarding funding concerns. 

We believe our town and hardworking NHS staff working in crumbling hospital buildings deserve a firm commitment from the Government on the funding to build our hospital. 

This is why our campaign is calling for the Government to gain confirmation from the Treasury on the additional funding needed for cohort 4 hospitals, and to Build Our Hospital by 2030 as promised.

You can take part in HHFT's consultation on plans to build a new Basingstoke hospital by visiting Hampshire Together.