Just a quarter of the “40 new hospitals” have received planning permission
Two new parliamentary questions by the Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper have revealed the Government promise of “40 New Hospitals built by 2030” looks in tatters. The new findings reveal just 10 of the new hospitals have secured full planning permission. The rest are yet to secure the necessary permission to begin building, and in some cases, have no planning permission whatsoever. Last year, the MP discovered construction work had started on only seven of the new hospitals. The lengthy delays have caused one health worker in Sussex to tell the media that their new hospital may never be built. The worst case for delays is the new hospital for Sutton, London. The new Epsom and St Helier Hospital has yet to secure any planning permission, and a previous Freedom of Information Request (FOI) by the Liberal Democrats, reveals the hospital is already two years behind schedule and had not even submitted a request for planning permission. The Borough is currently served by St Helier Hospital which was built in 1938 and in desperate need of repair work to keep it running whilst the new hospital is late. A separate parliamentary question by the Liberal Democrats has found there are still a staggering 284 hospital buildings pre-dating 1948, when the NHS was first created. Most of the hospitals due to be replaced have buildings pre-dating 1948, raising questions that further delays to the new hospitals programme leaves the community with crumbling hospitals. The state of England’s hospitals has already been questioned. The Liberal Democrats revealed 34 NHS hospitals have roofs which may collapse at any moment, with some hospitals unable to treat heavier patients and some wards due to the dangerous roofs. Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “This is truly scandalous. The Conservative Government is on course to break their flagship NHS promise and refuse to admit it. Communities already suffering from dangerously long ambulance waiting times are also left with crumbling hospitals which are falling apart at the seams. The Government needs to stump up the cash to keep ageing hospitals running and ensure patients are treated in safe environments. “Time and time again Conservative Health Ministers are hiding the truth from the country. Their big promises have been shown to not be worth the paper they are written on. Local people in these areas have been taken for granted and have lost all faith in NHS services.” ENDS First reported in the Observer An East Sussex Healthcare Trust worker told The Argus that staff at Eastbourne District General Hospital had been told that the town “would not get a hospital” and that it was a “barefaced lie”.
Parliamentary Question on planning permissions for New Hospital Programme
Ministers admit 34 hospital buildings in England have roofs that could collapse
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