THE Conservative MP for East Hampshire has slammed a review of the building of a new hospital for Basingstoke and refurbishment of Winchester hospital.

MP Damian Hinds has spoken out about the government’s plans to put the new hospital for Basingstoke on hold while a review is carried out.

As previously reported, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he wants to ensure Basingstoke hospital is ‘deliverable’ before committing to build the new facility.

READ MORE: PM will build 'necessary' hospitals but wants to ensure Basingstoke is 'deliverable'

(Image: Basingstoke Gazette) Basingstoke was included in the former Conservative government’s New Hospital Programme as part of a promise to build 40 new hospitals by 2030.

However, the programme faced delays and criticism, with the project for Basingstoke delayed until after 2030 under the former Conservative government.

Now, health secretary Wes Streeting has ordered an ‘urgent review’ of the programme.

In an interview with ITV Meridian, Sir Keir said: "The promise of the last government was 40 new hospitals, the problem is they weren't 40, and they weren't new."

He explained that 'a bunch of them weren't hospitals and they weren't deliverable, so we're reviewing that'.

Sir Keir confirmed that his government 'will build the hospitals that are necessary' but wants to be 'absolutely assured that there's deliverability'.

He continued: "But it's a deliverable project, not the false hope that I think has been too prevalent in recent years."

Mr Hinds has criticised the decision, which he says puts the plans for Basingstoke and Winchester ‘in limbo’.

He said: “The case for this new hospital in Hampshire has been well made already by clinicians, staff and elected representatives, and there is overwhelming public support for the proposals.”

Mr Hinds claimed the Treasury had ‘approved the necessary funding for the hospital’ and given the ‘green light for the hospital to proceed with the next stage of the planning works’.

However, the Department for Health and Social Care previously confirmed to the Gazette that funding for the New Hospital Programme did not include those in cohort 4, which includes Basingstoke.

SEE ALSO: Timeline of funding issues for new Basingstoke hospital

Mr Hinds said: “It is incredibly frustrating that all of this hard work is now being held up by a government review.”

He added: “This follows a very public statement from the Prime Minister during his election campaign visit to Basingstoke where he promised local people that they would get their new hospital.

“I know that the plans for the new hospital are well advanced, so I will be doing everything in my power to ensure that this new hospital is built.”

Asked whether he was concerned that the review would delay the new hospital plans beyond the previously announced delay to the 2030s, Mr Hinds said: "We need to press on and progress the new Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. 

"The plan before the change of government has been 2032, two years off the original 2030 date, and we cannot have further delay.  Any slowdown from a review is likely to prove a false economy, given the need.  As Sir Keir himself acknowledged, reported in the Gazette in June, we need to get the hospital built."

A public consultation on the location of the hospital closed earlier this year.