A Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on New Hospital Programme (NHP) published today calls for an annual report to Parliament on the progress of replacing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) hospitals, noting the cost of ensuring safety at seven affected hospitals is now expected at £1bn.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the PAC, said: ‘RAAC itself is a hard lesson in overall NHS estate management and investment. We hope that Government begins to show more signs of learning these lessons.'
The report also warns a lack of contingency funding in today's volatile economic environment means the NHP risks falling further behind schedule.
The MPs also raise concerns about ‘new and unproven' Hospital 2.0 designs, warning wards consisting of solely single bedrooms could leave frailer or more vulnerable patients feeling ‘alienated being alone and monitored remotely'.
Sir Geoffrey also questioned why bed capacity for hospitals in the NHP needs to increase by 6%, when the Government has committed to spending more on care outside hospitals relative to what it spends in hospitals.
‘The rationale behind extra beds being provided in the context of a continual insistence of care moving to the community looks dangerously like potentially wasted resource in the future,' Sir Geoffrey said.
Reaction
Director of policy at The NHS Alliance, Dr Layla McCay, said: ‘NHS leaders agree that the schemes prioritised because of RAAC should be completed as soon as possible, with regular updates on progress and spending.
‘Healthcare leaders also support the call for further assurance on the bed capacity needed in new hospitals, given the commitment to deliver more care in community and neighbourhood settings.
‘And we need to see the department's strategy for investing in its capital assets, including plans to address the very substantial and growing backlog maintenance bill.'
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘This Government has put the New Hospital Programme on a stable long-term footing after inheriting a plan and timetable that were undeliverable, but we are not complacent about the challenges that remain.
‘We've confirmed funding and a realistic timetable to deliver all schemes in the programme and are now working at pace to build these much-needed facilities as quickly as possible and ensure taxpayers get maximum value for money.
‘While work at RAAC-affected sites has so far ensured facilities can operate safely beyond 2030, we are doing everything we can to accelerate progress at these sites. This is on top of backing the NHS with £1.6bn across the next four years to mitigate and remove this material from all affected hospitals and further protect patient and staff.'
The DHSC said the size of contingency follows guidance from the Treasury, National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority and the National Audit Office (NAO). It added the NAO has not questioned the overall level provided.
On single-patient rooms, the DHSC recognised concerns about frail and vulnerable patients, noting designs included enhanced observation, improved adjacencies, digital monitoring and clear operating models, rather than relying on room design alone.
The DHS said single rooms would enable patients to stay connected with others, including family and friends, by being able to have a guest stay overnight, better digital connectivity in the room, and continued interaction with staff and other patients in shared areas.
