Conclusion 25

The Department told us that while there had been a slight pause in recruitment, the programme was not currently under a recruitment freeze for key roles and it did not currently see resourcing as a concern.55 We challenged the Department on this, highlighting that the impact of public sector vacancies on deliverability was rated red on the programme’s risk register as at November 2025. The Department said that the programme had subsequently been on a recruitment drive, specifically looking at moving staff from across NHS England into core roles.56 The vacancy rate for the programme had now reduced below the 39% reported by the NAO, and the Department had filled all the key roles it needed to deliver the programme. The Department acknowledged that it would like to fill all vacancies within the programme, and that recruitment 51 Committee of Public Accounts, The New Hospital Programme, First Report of Session 2023–24, HC 77, 17 November 2023 52 C&AG’s report, paras 3.28-3.29 53 C&AG’s report, para 17 54 NHS Providers (NHP0003) 55 Qq 22-24 56 Q 25 17 was still ongoing.57 The Department also told us that it had established an academy which aims to build skills, training and career paths in the UK construction sector.58 Wider governance of the New Hospital Programme