The summary results from the 2023/24 Estates Return Information Collection (ERIC) reveal it cost £13.6bn to run the NHS estate.

The NHS used 11.1bn kWh of energy with cleaning services costing £1.5bn and £0.8bn spent on inpatient food.

Charlotte Wickens, policy adviser at The King's Fund, said: ‘The latest NHS maintenance backlog data shows £13.8 billion will need to be invested to restore buildings and equipment to acceptable levels. That figure is higher than the entire Department of Health and Social Care capital budget for this financial year. And today's data only covers hospitals, much more would be needed to restore outdated GP practices and other primary and community care buildings.

‘The poor physical state of the NHS has now become a severe hindrance to its productivity. The government has said it is reviewing the New Hospital Programme but has not yet been clear on when this will happen or what the result will be, leaving patients and health care leaders in limbo.'

Wickens welcomed the last Budget's £1bn for critical maintenance and a promise to set longer-term capital budgets so that NHS organisations can better plan for future modernization but warned of ‘difficult decisions about which buildings and what equipment is prioritised for investment at the upcoming comprehensive spending review'.

Assistant director of Policy at The Health Foundation, Tim Gardner, said: ‘Today's data illustrate that, while the government is aiming to make ambitious progress on waits for routine hospital procedures, there are major issues to be tackled across other parts of the health service including urgent and emergency care.'