New Hospital Programme

In the House of Commons, Cat Smith (Lancaster and Wyre) (Lab) asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, about the progress made on the new hospital programme. Smith noted that Lancaster's Royal Infirmary is at capacity and not fit for purpose, and asked the Secretary of State to commit to meeting with her and other local MPs to ensure that the Labour government will deliver a new hospital for Lancaster. In response, Streeting acknowledged the urgency around the issue and stated that a scheme for Lancaster will be put to him shortly, which he will consider carefully. He also mentioned that he is particularly concerned about hospitals with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, which are a top priority for him. James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con) then asked Streeting to honour Labour's pledge during the election campaign to deliver the new hospitals programme, including modernising the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn. Streeting responded that he is extremely concerned about the dire state of the NHS estate and that the previous government had not done enough to address the issues. Dr Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con), the new shadow Minister, congratulated Streeting on his position and expressed her intention to use her experience as an NHS consultant paediatrician to scrutinise the government's work. She asked Streeting to confirm when the review of the new hospital programme will be completed, to which Streeting responded that the previous government had handed over an entirely fictional timetable and an unfunded programme. Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD) welcomed Streeting and his ministers to their roles, but warned him that if he intends to run a contest on which member can harangue him the most on crumbling hospitals, the 72 Liberal Democrat MPs are ready to accept the challenge. She highlighted the issues faced by trusts, such as her own in west Hertfordshire, that are being held back from progressing with their plans. Streeting acknowledged Cooper's points and stated that the condition of the entire NHS estate is poor, with a backlog maintenance cost of £11.6 billion, which he attributed to the legacy of the previous Conservative government.