NAO new hospitals report “utterly damning” - Barclay must come to Parliament 

Embargoed until 00:01 on Monday 17 July

The Liberal Democrats have described the National Audit Office on the government’s New Hospital Programme (NHP) as “utterly damning” and demanded that the Health Secretary Steve Barclay urgently come to Parliament to respond to its findings.

The report found seven entire NHS hospitals are structurally unsound and urgently need replacement, while only 11 of the new hospitals announced by the government in October 2022 represent “whole new hospitals.”

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

“This utterly damning report demolishes the government’s claims to be building 40 'new hospitals.'

“People are fed up with the Conservatives repeating empty promises and slogans, while patients are treated in crumbling hospital buildings in urgent need of repair.

“Steve Barclay must come to Parliament immediately and respond to the findings of this report. The public deserve answers about how many more delays there will be to the local hospital upgrades and repairs they were promised."

ENDS