Berkshire and north Hampshire hospital rebuilds delayed
Work on both the RBH in Reading and the Basingstoke and north Hampshire hospitals won't start for at least another ten years
Work to rebuild the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and the Basingstoke and north Hampshire hospital has been delayed and won't begin for at least ten years.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the fate of some 25 hospitals across England in the House of Commons this afternoon, following his government’s review of the Conservatives’ new hospitals programme.
The conservative scheme which promised the delivery of 40 hospitals by 2030 was described by the new Labour Government as ‘uncosted and undeliverable’.
Mr Streeting said the new hospitals would be delivered in ‘waves’ of five year periods, from wave zero to wave three.
The Royal Berkshire and Basingstoke and north Hampshire hosiptals have been placed in the final wave of the scheme, meaning construction will begin between 2035-2039.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told MPs: "Projects in wave zero are already in the advanced stages of development and will be completed within the next three years."
He added: "Wave one schemes will begin construction between 2025 and 2030. These include the seven RAAC hospitals - Leighton Hospital, West Suffolk Hospital, Frimley Park Hospital, Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, James Paget Hospital and Airedale General Hospital.
"The other wave one schemes are: Poole Hospital, Milton Keynes Hospital, Brighton 3Ts Hospital, Women and Children's Hospital Cornwall, Derriford Emergency Care Hospital, Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, Shotley Bridge Community Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and Hillingdon Hospital.
"Wave two schemes will now begin main construction between 2030 and 2035. They are: Leicester General Hospital Royal Infirmary, Watford General Hospital, the Specialist and Emergency Care Hospital in Sutton, Kettering General Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary, Musgrove Park Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Torbay Hospital and Whipps Cross Hospital."
He added: "Wave three includes nine schemes which will start construction between 2035 and 2039.
"These are St Mary's Hospital in London, Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, North Devon District Hospital, Eastbourne District General Hospital, Conquest Hospital and Bexhill Hospital scheme, Hampshire Hospitals, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Royal Preston Hospital, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Queen's Medical Centre Nottingham City Hospital."
Broken promises
Speaking in Parliament this afternoon, Mr Streeting said the previous government had made ‘promises they never intended on keeping’.
He said: “The scheme was not just years behind schedule – the money provided by the previous government was due to run out in March, just weeks from today.”
A total of £15bn has been invested into delivering the hospitals over the next fourteen years.
Projects in wave zero are those already in the advanced stages of development, while projects in wave one will begin work between 2025 and 2030. Those in wave one are hospitals made with Raac, including Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.
Wave two hospitals will then begin construction between 2030 and 2035, before the final wave will commence work between 2035 and 2039.
Mr Streeting said this would give patients and staff an ‘honest, realistic, deliverable timetable’.
But he recognised that ‘people in certain parts of this country will be disappointed’ at the news of delay.
Ed Agar, shadow Health Secretary, said the announcement was a ‘bitter blow to trusts, staff and crucially patients’, who ‘will be waiting even longer for vital investement’.