The Government’s review of the New Hospital Programme has this week (Monday 20th January) been published, outlining Labour’s commitment to delivering all hospitals in the programme and rebuilding our NHS.
The New Hospitals Programme, announced by Boris Johnson in 2020, promised ‘40 new hospitals’ but was delayed by years and not a single new hospital had been constructed by the time the Conservatives left office. Upon coming into power, Labour found that the funding for the programme was shockingly due to run out in March 2025.
Successive Conservative Prime Ministers came to Leeds and promised our new Hospital site at LGI knowing they hadn’t committed the funding for it and this is the unforgivable legacy left by the Tories. Time and again they led us up the garden path, raising expectations that we could expect a new hospital overnight when the money simply wasn’t there.
We all know how important the new adult and Children's Hospital and the desperately needed Maternity unit is for our City and that's why local residents, staff and patients expect an honest, realistic and deliverable timetable. I’m relieved that is what the Labour Government has given us today.
I will continue to campaign for the LGI and work with Government on the extensive maintenance backlog at every opportunity, the Health Secretary has already offered to meet me with the Hospital Trust and I will keep local residents updated on the progress of the programme every step of the way.
While the delay is undoubtedly disappointing, the most important thing is that we will get this much-needed hospital. However, the pressing concern remains the significant backlog of maintenance. I am eager for the Secretary of State to meet with myself and the hospital to review the urgent works required to keep it operational until the new facility is completed in the 2030s.
You can read more on this here.