Just a quarter of the “40 new hospitals” have received planning permission

4 Feb 2023

30 hospital buildings due to be replaced are, or have buildings which are, older than the NHS itself
A series of parliamentary questions and Freedom of Information Requests in recent months reveal the Government is on course to break its promise on new hospitals

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

NOTES TO EDITORS

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

Parliamentary Question on hospital building pre-dating 1948

Ministers admit 34 hospital buildings in England have roofs that could collapse

Hospital	Region	Planning permission	Buildings pre-1948
1. Midland Metropolitan Hospital	Midlands	Full planning permission approved	No
2. Cumberland Cancer Hospital	North East & Yorkshire	Full planning permission approved	Yes
3. Royal Liverpool Hospital	North West	Full planning permission approved	Yes
4. 3Ts Hospital, Brighton	South East	Full planning permission approved	No
5. Moorfields Eye Hospital	London	Full planning permission approved	Yes
6. Northgate Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland	North East & Yorkshire	Full planning permission approved	Yes
7. Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital	North West	Full planning permission approved	Yes
8. Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre	Midlands	Full planning permission approved	No
9. Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow	East of England	No planning permission confirmed	Yes
10. Watford General Hospital	East of England	No planning permission confirmed	Yes
11. Whipps Cross University Hospital, North East London	London	Outline planning permission in place and full planning permission for multi storey car park	Yes
12. Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals	London	No planning permission in place	Yes
13. University Hospitals of Leicester	Midlands	No planning permission in place	Yes
14. Leeds General Infirmary	North East & Yorkshire	Outline planning permission approved	Yes
15. West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds	East of England	Application Submitted	No
16. East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	South East	Application Submitted	No
17. Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading	South East	No planning permission in place	Yes
18. Milton Keynes Hospital	East of England	Not approved yet	No
19. The Hillingdon Hospital, North West London	London	No planning permission in place	Yes
20. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	South East	No planning permission in place	Yes
21. St Ann’s Hospital, Dorset	South West	Outline planning permission approved	Yes
22. North Manchester General Hospital	North West	Strategic Redevelopment Framework in place	Yes
23. Dorchester Community Hospital, Dorset	South West	Awaiting outline planning application outcome	Yes
24. Poole Community Hospital, Dorset	South West	Outline planning permission approved	Yes
25. North Devon District Hospital	South West	No planning permission in place	Yes
26. James Paget Hospital , Great Yarmouth	East of England	No planning permission confirmed	No
27. Kettering General Hospital	Midlands	No planning permission confirmed	Yes
28. Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham City Hospital	Midlands	No planning permission confirmed	Yes
29. Royal Preston and Lancaster Royal Infirmary	North West	No planning permission in place	Yes
30. Bournemouth Community Hospital, Dorset	South West	Outline planning permission approved	Yes
31. Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton	South West	No planning permission in place	Yes
32. Torbay District General, Torquay	South West	No planning permission in place	Yes
33. Addenbrookes Cancer hospital	East of England	No planning permission confirmed	Yes
34. Royal United Bath Hospital	South West	Full planning permission approved	Yes
35. Cornwall Children’s Hospital	South West	Application Submitted	Yes
36. Derriford Emergency Care Hospital	South West	Full planning permission approved	Yes
37. St Mary’s Hospital, London	London	No planning permission in place	No
38. Charing Cross Hospital, London	London	No planning permission in place	No
39. Christchurch Community hospital, Dorset	South West	Outline planning permission approved	Yes
40. Shotley Bridge Hospital, Durham	North East & Yorkshire	Application Submitted	No