Ranil Jayawardena, M.P. has welcomed the Government’s announcement that more than £20 billion will be invested in building new hospitals, including securing a new hospital in Basingstoke and a full rebuild of Frimley Park hospital in Surrey.
The new rolling programme is part of a more sustainable, consistent approach to delivering state-of-the-art new hospitals for staff and patients. It will mean further future investment to upgrade NHS facilities across the country, and will allow more than 40 new hospitals to be built in the longer term.
The government is on track to deliver the manifesto commitment to build 40 new hospitals in England by 2030. Two hospitals are already complete and five in construction. By the end of next year more than 20 will be underway or complete.
Ranil Jayawardena M.P. said:
“I am pleased that construction of a new hospital in Basingstoke is confirmed, and that it is progressing as planned, with the new commitment of a motorway junction to the west of Basingstoke now too.
"Today’s bonus for local people is that we have secured of full rebuild of Frimley Park Hospital as well, to open its doors by 2030. I have visited the hospital many times and seen that improvements are needed. These are clear results for people in North East Hampshire and beyond.”
The government has also announced that it will rebuild five more hospitals that were constructed mostly using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – a lightweight type of concrete used to construct parts of the NHS estate in the past but which has a limited lifespan, after which it deteriorates significantly. This includes the local Frimley Park hospital.
The NHS has asked the Government to prioritise the rebuilding of these hospitals given the risks they pose to patients and staff - the full extent of which has come to light since the New Hospital Programme was first announced in 2020.
Three mental health hospitals will also be delivered through wider capital funding – as part of a commitment to eradicate dormitory accommodation from mental health facilities across the country and put mental health on an equal footing to physical health.
Health Minister Lord Markham said:
“We are investing in new NHS facilities across the country giving patients the certainty they can access world-leading care in state-of-the-art hospitals, both now and in the years to come.
“In the immediate term, we’re focussing on quickly and safely rebuilding hospitals in areas which need it most – specifically those affected by this specific type of concrete, which poses a significant risk to patients and staff if not rebuilt by 2030.
“In the long term, our new standardised design means we can rapidly replicate new hospitals across the country, helping speed up construction and improving services for patients faster.”
