Labour calls for Budget capital injection

Using data from NHS Digital’s NHS surplus land 2018 report, the party said the land identified for potential sale had risen by 31% in the last year to almost 1,750 hectares. Compared with 2015/16 there is now four times more NHS land for sale, it added.

And, compared with 2016/17, 20% more sites currently used for clinical purposes have been identified as surplus. There are 43 sites with a market value of more than £1m.

Much of the increase in NHS land for sale is in response to last year’s Naylor report on the NHS estate and the government response. The former suggested the service could release £2bn in the medium term, but this could rise to £5bn in the longer term with effective management of high value sales in London.

The Naylor report estimated sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) needed £10bn to complete their capital plans to deliver the Five-year forward view and cover backlog maintenance.

In its response to the report in January, the government said it would provide £3.9bn in additional capital by 2022/23, including £2.6bn to support STP estates transformation plans. It would support the NHS to realise £3.3bn from the disposal of surplus land. Private financing could play a role in delivering the balance of the £10bn required.

Despite this, Labour said a capital injection was needed in the Budget this autumn to prevent a ‘fire sale’ of valuable assets.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth (pictured) said: ‘With hospitals crumbling in desperate need of repair and renewal, the government must provide the capital investment our NHS now clearly is crying out for, rather than forcing financially stretched hospitals into a fire sale of assets.

‘Patients who want good local hospital services will be alarmed at this huge rise in the amount of NHS land being put up for sale. The answer should be a serious long-term government funded investment plan, not selling off the NHS’s family silver.’

The value of 143 plots were withheld in the NHS Digital report due to issues of sensitivity.

‘With details withheld for so many of the sites for sale, it simply adds to the sense that this government is driving through a secret fire sale of valuable assets.’