Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in which order of priority will the hospitals in the New Hospital Programme be started.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out a credible and deliverable plan and sequencing for the hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The NHP Plan for Implementation was deposited into the House Library and published on GOV.UK website, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome

The NHP will be delivered through waves of investment, each approximately over five years, with waves comprising of a group of hospital schemes that will commence main construction within that period, but which may be completed after the period. Due to the substantive safety risks of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), the seven schemes to replace hospitals built primarily from RAAC will continue to be prioritised and will proceed at pace. The waves will be delivered in the following order, and the schemes for each wave are listed in the NHP Plan for Implementation:

• Wave 0, comprising of seven schemes that are already in the advanced stages of development and will be completed within the next three years;
• Wave 1, comprising of 16 schemes which will begin construction between 2025 and 2030;
• Wave 2, comprising of nine schemes which will begin construction between 2030 and 2035; and,
• Wave 3, comprising of nine schemes which will begin construction after 2035.