Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 42
42
Acknowledged
New Hospital Programme expected to address approximately one-third of existing NHS maintenance backlog.
Conclusion
We asked DHSC whether NHP would affect the maintenance backlog. DHSC told us that the programme would help to address the backlog because around a third of the reported backlog was at sites that would be redeveloped or replaced by an NHP scheme. NHS England accepted that there would be some interim spending on the maintenance of buildings that would be replaced, but also noted that this might be necessary for patient and safety care.95 88 Committee of Public Accounts, Sustainability and financial performance of acute hospital trusts, Thirtieth Report of Session 2015–16, HC 709, 15 March 2016; Committee of Public Accounts, Financial sustainability of the NHS, Forty-third Report of Session 2016–17, HC 887, 27 February 2017; Committee of Public Accounts, Sustainability and transformation in the NHS; Twenty-Ninth Report of Session 2017–19, HC 793, 27 March 2018; Committee of Public Accounts, NHS financial sustainability: progress review, Ninety-First Report of Session 2017–19, HC 1743, 3 April 2019; Committee of Public Accounts, NHS capital expenditure and financial management, Eighth Report of Session 2019–21, HC 344, 8 July 2020. 89 C&AG’s Report, para 5 90 C&AG’s Report, para 5 91 Committee of Public Accounts, Introducing Integrated Care Systems, Thirty-Fifth Report of Session 2022–23, HC 47, 8 February 2023 92 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts report, Accountability to Parliament for taxpayers’ money, Thirty-Ninth Report of Session 2015–26 [summary], HC 732, 4 May 2016 93 NHP0004 94 C&AG’s Report, para 1.2 95 Qq 86, 90 The New Hospital Programme 21
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledged the Committee's observations regarding the New Hospital Programme and maintenance backlog, reiterating its commitment to capital investment and providing record funding for the NHS.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
8.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 8.2 The government recognises the importance of capital investment in the NHS and the role it plays in an effective and productive healthcare system. The department is providing the NHS with record amounts of capital, including £12 billion of operational capital between 2022-23 and 2024-25 to address the most pressing priorities. 8.3 The decision to switch capital budgets to revenue is only made in exceptional circumstances. When such switches are enacted, capital programmes with forecasted underspends are prioritised for a switch rather than proactively delaying programmes. The department also enacts some adjustments where, to meet the same programme aims, the currency of spend has changed from capital to revenue. 8.4 Although the government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation in principle, it is right that the department regularly assesses its priorities so that budgets are targeted effectively. Therefore, the government suggests that the usual processes when advising Ministers of the impact of financial decisions, including switching of capital budgets, continue to be followed. The department will continue to make these considerations clear as part of Ministerial advice, with any switches then being approved by HM Treasury. 8.5 Looking forward, the government is committed to providing more certainty for NHS capital through rolling programmes of investment in NHS infrastructure.