Recommendation 1

HM Government · verbatim extract Not Addressed

The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. New Hospital Programme (NHP) that are constructed wholly or primarily using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). These RAAC replacement schemes remain a priority within the NHP and will continue to be progressed at pace, alongside ongoing monitoring and mitigation measures, to protect patient and staff safety. The Trusts responsible for these hospitals will continue to receive specific funding from NHS England’s national programme for RAAC mitigation and safety works. In addition, they will also collectively receive over £440 million in operational capital across the next four years. Trusts are responsible for managing this funding locally and allocating it to their priorities, for example, maintaining their existing hospital estate. Information on the presence, condition and eradication of RAAC across the wider NHS England estate is already published on GOV.UK and is routinely updated. The department intends to publish the first NHP annual report in summer 2026, providing Parliament and the public with a yearly programme-level update on progress. The report will set out key activities and achievements for all NHP hospitals, including 7 RAAC, including their timelines. Should there be impacts on timelines and patients and staff this will be included in the annual report as well as the regular RAAC updates across the wider NHS estate. The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. estate and is currently developing a long-term plan for health capital spending. The plan will set out how the department intends to deliver strategic investment in the NHS estate, including for repairs and replacement, in the future. The plan will build on the funding certainty provided through the 2025 Autumn Budget and 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, in which the government set out a four-year health capital settlement, with a further five years of funding certainty for estates maintenance. As part of this, NHS Trusts have been provided with four-year operational capital allocations. These annual funding flows are set out in the NHS Capital guidance 2026-27 and 2029-30. This provides NHS organisations with the confidence needed to undertake strategic, multi-year capital planning, maximising value for money and delivering sustainable estates improvements.