AN ORGANISATION representing the NHS has said that millions of pounds is being drained from scarce NHS funds every month and staff are demoralised because of delays to the Government's £20bn New Hospital Programme (NHP). 

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) is one of those included in the programme that has been delayed until the 2030s.

NHS Providers – the membership organisation for NHS services - said some trusts in the programme are forking upwards of £1m a month from under-pressure budgets due to spiralling cost pressures, on-hold building projects and the bill for having to patch up deteriorating sites because of delays to the government scheme that originally promised 40 new hospitals by 2030.

READ MORE: Gazette launches campaign to 'Build Our Hospital' 

Basingstoke Gazette: One year on from the Government’s renewed commitment to build 40 new hospitals, NHS Providers said that trust leaders have warned that, despite some progress, uncertainty over funding and shifting timetables risks putting their promised buildings further out of reach.

It warned that crumbling estates and out-of-date equipment hamper care for patients, staff are becoming more demoralised and public confidence has been undermined by delays to the NHP.

It said trust leaders are now looking to the next government to commit to the current hospital building programme, as any delays caused by going back to the drawing board after the general election would be costly and undermine patient care.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: "Trust leaders and local people want to see the promise of 'new hospitals' honoured. They know these projects can transform services for patients and staff.

"While there has been some welcome progress, the bigger picture is one of delay, indecision and soaring costs which the NHS, taxpayers and patients can ill afford. Trusts urgently need clarity from the government on funding and next steps.”

He added: "As we head towards a general election, trust leaders want a cast-iron commitment from all political parties to an NHS infrastructure programme that meets the needs of hospitals, mental health, community and ambulance services. Patients, hard-working NHS staff and taxpayers deserve nothing less."

Saffron Cordery, NHS Providers deputy chief executive, told Construction News that some trust leaders are concerned schemes in the programme will be scaled back or delayed, with many still waiting to hear what funding they will receive.

HHFT has been told it will receive between £700m and £900m to build a new hospital. However, NHP programme leaders in the government are yet to approve the national business case, meaning funding allocations from 2025 and 2026 onwards have not yet been approved.

Ms Cordery said this uncertainty has limited trusts’ ability to engage potential partners and progress the builds.

She also warned that planning delays are likely to compound the effects of construction cost inflation.

“Trusts in the NHP have been frustrated by delays to the programme thus far and, consequently, delays to promised benefits for patients, staff and local communities,” she told Construction News.

Hampshire Together, which is behind the HHFT new hospital project, has completed a public consultation on its plans for a new hospital and is expected to announce the chosen location in the summer, which will either be at land near Junction 7 of the M3 or at the current site of Basingstoke hospital.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We continue to make good progress across our New Hospital Programme, with six new hospitals already open to patients. Two more are expected to open by the end of the financial year, and another 18 are under construction or have work ongoing to prepare the sites.

"On top of the expected £20 billion for the New Hospital Programme, the government has invested £4.2 billion this financial year to upgrade and modernise NHS buildings so staff have the facilities needed to provide world-class care for patients.

"We have also provided a further £1.7 billion for over 70 hospital upgrades across England, alongside a range of nationally funded infrastructure improvements in mental health, urgent and emergency care and diagnostic capacity. We are working with each individual scheme on opportunities to progress as quickly as possible.”

Alex Whitfield, CEO of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “With much of our current estate and hospital buildings approaching the end of their usable lives, we are committed to building a brand-new specialist acute hospital and investing in refurbishing the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester."

She said there are "no changes" to the timeline for this and said the consultation results are now being analysed before a report is prepared in the summer and a 'decision making business case' is finalised, which will contribute to a final decision later this year. 

The Gazette launched a campaign to 'Build Our Hospital' earlier this year. You can read all news related to the campaign here.