Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure the timely implementation of Wave 0, Wave 1 and Wave 2 hospital schemes planned under the New Hospital Programme impacting Wave 3 schemes.

The New Hospital Programme (NHP) Plan for Implementation sets out a credible plan, timeline, and budget, that will see all schemes in the programme delivered. We are focussing on the delivery of Wave 1 schemes, including the seven hospitals predominantly built with reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete.

Through the NHP’s standardised approach, Hospital 2.0, we will build hospitals more quickly and cost-effectively. The programme will continually monitor progress against the plan to tailor support for schemes at different stages of readiness, including ongoing engagement to help navigate planning, progress enabling works and designs, and prepare for key approvals through business case process.