Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the (a) size and (b) condition of NHS buildings on hospital waiting lists.

The Department recognises the importance of modern healthcare estates in tackling hospital waiting lists. At the Spending Review 2021, we backed the NHS with record levels of capital with £24 billion allocated between 2022/23 to 2024/25 to upgrade and modernise NHS buildings so staff have the facilities needed to provide world-class care for patients in a safe and appropriate environment. Recently, we reaffirmed our commitment to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030 and we are continuing to deliver over 70 hospital upgrades across England.