The government has announced a 10-Year Capital Plan for the NHS to modernise NHS buildings, upgrade GP surgeries and bring more care closer to patients’ homes.
It is hoped patients will benefit from faster access to care, more GP appointments and modern NHS facilities.
The plan is by a record capital budget for health, rising to £15 billion in 2029/30 and sets out how the government will rebuild, renew and modernise the NHS.
Investment has already funded almost 800 upgrades to GP surgeries across England, helping practices create space for an estimated 9 million extra appointments. A further £200 million has been allocated to help more GP surgeries expand and modernise, helping patients get appointments more easily, receive care closer to home and reducing pressure on hospitals.
The plan also explains how unused NHS land can be turned into affordable homes for healthcare workers. Nurses, porters, healthcare assistants and other NHS staff will be able to rent homes close to the hospitals where they work, helping them spend less time commuting and making it easier for the NHS to recruit and keep staff in areas where housing costs are highest.
The government is investing at least £6.75 billion over the next nine years to repair hospitals, replace unsafe buildings and tackle the maintenance backlog.
Hospitals affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) will benefit from a £2 billion programme to remove it.
Minister of State for Health Karin Smyth said: "NHS patients - and the brilliant staff who care for them - deserve modern buildings, reliable equipment and services fit for the future.
"Too many NHS buildings are crumbling and outdated. This government is taking the long-term decisions needed to rebuild the health service.
"Our 10 Year Capital Plan backs that ambition with record investment and reforms that will help patients get faster appointments, better facilities, modern technology and more care closer to home for patients across the country."
Sir Ciarán Devane, chief executive of The NHS Alliance, said: "Our members will welcome the government’s focus on long-term NHS capital investment. Multi-year funding, faster approvals and investment in GP premises and technology will help NHS leaders continue to plan more effectively, start to modernise facilities, further improve productivity and above all, enhance patient care.
"Health service leaders will also be interested in the plans for new neighbourhood health centres and the use of new public-private partnership models. Capital investment across the NHS is vital to delivering the ambitions of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan."
