The state of crumbling hospital buildings across London is “unacceptable”, the health minister has admitted.
Karin Smyth said she “knows people deserve better services” after visiting the dilapidated wards of Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, west London.
Hillingdon was the only London trust to get the go-ahead for a new hospital as part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme.
As a result, the city’s hospitals have been handed approximately £160 million of emergency funds from an Estates Safety Fund to try to keep them running until they can be replaced.
But health chiefs insist the cash is not enough to cover the repairs needed, with fears that they may have to close their sites.
Ms Smyth told the BBC: “We know there's been disappointment, a lot of delays, but this new government has got on with the review — we want to see this got on with now.”
She added: “When we came in as a new government last July, there wasn't funding for any of these schemes beyond March.
“We understand the disappointment in other communities — but we have sought to put this programme now on a firm financial footing for the first time. That didn't happen before.”
The new Hillingdon Hospital is expected to open in 2033 with building starting between 2027/2028 after years of delays, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Ms Smyth told the LDRS: “Staff are having to work in terrible conditions and it’s really bad for patients. I’m really impressed by the team we’ve got here.
“They are working at pace with the local authority, with the local community, with the staff to get this built. We are very keen to see this happen as soon as possible.”
A report published by the health watchdog on Wednesday (June 4) highlighted overall improvement at Hillingdon.
However the Care Quality Commission (CQC) also flagged “serious safety concerns”.
Asked whether the timeline was appropriate given the safety concerns, Ms Smyth said: “The commitment of this government is to get on with replacing these hospitals for the future, but we understand the scale of the task.”
Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP Danny Beales said he wants the hospital to be opened as quickly as possible.
Mr Beales described the CQC report as “disappointing”.
Asked what is being done to ensure patient safety in the meantime, he said: “One of the key things that needs to happen is the modern facilities that any member of the public and any member of staff deserve.”
Several London hospitals, including St Helier in Sutton, Whipps Cross in Leyton and St Mary's in Paddington, were promised investment for upgrades by 2030 under the previous Conservative government.
But earlier this year, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said they would have to delay their projects until as far back as 2038.
Ken Welch, former director of facilities, estates and supplies at St Helier, said the condition of the buildings raised serious concerns.
“I've seen a lot in 30 years working in the NHS, but the condition of the buildings at St Helier is among the worst,” he said.
“I'm seriously concerned about the risk of fire, particularly with the growing use of corridor care. But most of all, I'm worried about the safety of the patients.”
The trust’s current deputy Dr James Marsh previously warned: “We now need to plan and prepare for the catastrophic failure of our buildings which could mean moving patient care into temporary buildings.”
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust added: “Our ageing hospitals are deteriorating faster than we can fix them.”
