Abstract

The Government says the HIP will deliver a long-term, rolling five-year programme of investment in health infrastructure, including capital to build new hospitals, modernise the primary care estate, invest in new diagnostics and technology, and help eradicate critical safety issues in the NHS estate. At the centre of this will be a new hospital building programme to ensure the NHS’ hospital estate supports the provision of world-class healthcare services.

The Government believes the country needs three key things to make NHS infrastructure fit for the future:

• a new five-year rolling programme of investment in NHS infrastructure – a strategic approach to improving hospitals, primary and community care estates and health infrastructure, with waves of investment in new infrastructure initiatives. A multi-year capital settlement will provide greater certainty to develop capacity, plan effectively, get better value for money and unlock delivery of commitments already made;
• a reformed system underpinning capital to ensure funding addresses need – ensuring funding reaches the frontline when and where it is needed, with national infrastructure to support this, and clear accountability for how it is spent; and
• backing of wider health and care sectors with funding at the capital review.

This discussion scrutinised these plans and asked whether, indeed, they were enough to make the NHS estate fit for the future.