Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced more than £1.5 billion of investment in over 950 NHS projects across England, aimed at making hospitals safer, more resilient and better able to cope with pressures throughout the year.
The programme will fund major upgrades including new operating theatres, children’s wards, maternity and mental health facilities, alongside hundreds of maintenance, fire safety, ventilation and infrastructure projects.
Cooper said:
“Today I announced 950 projects across England worth £1.5bn to make hospitals safer for patients and staff.”
She said the investment would also help the NHS adapt to extreme weather and begin tackling the backlog in capital investment built up over many years.
More than £200m for major hospital projects
More than £200 million will fund 10 significant projects across England, while a further £1.3 billion will support maintenance, safety and resilience improvements across the NHS estate.
Major schemes include:
- £41 million for safer and more reliable operating theatres at Bristol Royal Infirmary;
- £32 million for two new operating theatres at the Royal Free Hospital in London;
- £26 million for a new pathology building at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport;
- £25 million for a new clinical building at Wycombe Hospital;
- £12 million to redevelop maternity facilities at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead;
- and £11 million for a new children’s ward at Lister Hospital in Hertfordshire.
Making hospitals resilient to extreme weather
The funding also reflects the growing challenge posed by extreme temperatures.
More than £32 million is being directed towards cooling, ventilation and overheating projects designed to help hospitals function safely during periods of extreme heat.
Cooper has previously thanked NHS staff working through extreme heat as amber heat-health alerts were extended across England. She said:
“For decades, hospitals have focused on preparing for winter pressures, but the NHS is now facing new challenges, including periods of extreme heat and sustained pressure on services throughout the year.”
She added that the investment would help hospitals remain open and able to treat patients when services were under greatest pressure.
Tackling ageing NHS infrastructure
The announcement forms part of Labour’s wider effort to tackle ageing NHS buildings and a significant maintenance backlog.
Government figures show that building failures including leaking roofs, broken heating systems and electrical faults caused more than 4,100 disruptions to patient care in the previous year alone.
Labour’s 10 Year Capital Plan provides at least £6.75 billion over nine years to repair hospitals, replace unsafe infrastructure and reduce disruption caused by deteriorating NHS estates.
The wider health capital budget is set to rise to £15 billion a year by 2029-30.
Cooper: ‘This is just the start’
Cooper said the latest announcement was part of a longer-term programme to rebuild and modernise the health service.
“This is just the start. Through our 10 Year Capital Plan, we will continue investing in the NHS buildings and facilities staff and patients need, helping build a health service that is fit for the future.”
For Labour, the £1.5 billion package is intended to demonstrate a shift towards long-term investment in the physical infrastructure of the NHS, alongside efforts to reduce waiting lists and improve frontline services.
The Government’s message is that rebuilding the NHS requires not only more doctors, nurses and appointments, but safer hospitals, modern equipment and infrastructure capable of meeting the pressures of the future.
