During PMQs today, Liberal Democrat MPs Clive Jones and Ian Roome, who represents constituents served by North Devon District Hospital and the Royal Berkshire Hospital, implored the Prime Minister to deliver on additional maintenance funding and bring forward construction dates with many of these projects pushed back by at least a decade.

Under the revised New Hospital Programme, construction of the new North Devon District Hospital is expected to begin between 2035 and 2038 while work on Royal Berkshire Hospital has been slated for between 2037 and 2039.

Sam Higginson, chief executive at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, has described the announcement as deeply disappointing, adding the review had not fully recognised the ‘need for urgent investment'. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has said it too is ‘extremely disappointed' at a decision to delay its build for at least six years.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: ‘These communities have been devastated by the news that the hospitals they were promised now face years of delay. For these patients and staff it means there is still no end in sight to the dangerous delays to vital treatment and the buildings they use will have the potential to collapse around them for years to come.

‘The Prime Minister has embraced the false economy of dither and delay. These projects will only become more expensive, with patients suffering the consequences, the longer they are delayed. The Government must now realise this and bring the construction dates forward.'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: ‘We have put in place a funded scheme to build as quickly as we can but it has got to be funded. It's got to be deliverable.

‘Our funded plan backed by the investment we have put in will deliver them. We will take such steps as we can on hubs etc to advance quickly on waiting lists and operations.'