David Oliver: The “40 new hospitals” pledge was always a mirage

In 2020, when he was prime minister, Boris Johnson pledged to build “40 new hospitals by 2030,” with a “further eight schemes invited to bid for future funding” as “part of a package worth £3.7bn.”1 This also formed a key part of his 2019 election manifesto.2 News last week that building works had stalled and that this promise would not be met illustrated serious failings at the heart of government.3 Which is bad news when the NHS is so politicised and centralised.This should come as no surprise. In 2021 the government’s own Infrastructure and Projects Authority said on the record, as reported in the Health Service Journal,45 that what was now called the New Hospitals Programme had been given a “red” risk rating because of serious concerns about leadership, timescales, and resourcing after two separate reviews. Even before the “40 new hospitals” announcement, two new urban hospitals in Liverpool and…
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