Highlights
- NHS staff will be offered discounted rental homes built on unused NHS land.
- The scheme will be tested at selected NHS trusts before a wider rollout.
- Government has announced £6.75 billion to repair ageing NHS buildings and £200 million for GP surgeries.
- Ministers say the investment will modernise healthcare facilities and improve patient care.
GOVERNMENT has announced plans to build affordable homes for staff on unused NHS land to attract and retain healthcare workers, while also unveiling billions of pounds to modernise hospitals and GP surgeries across England.
Under the proposals, surplus land owned by NHS trusts will be leased to housing developers, who will build and manage the homes. Ownership of the land will remain with the NHS.
The scheme will initially be introduced at a small number of NHS trusts before being expanded nationwide if it proves successful, the Telegraph reported.
Nurses, cleaners and other healthcare workers will be able to rent most of the homes at below-market rates. Some staff, including consultants moving to a new area for a short period, will pay standard market rents.
The Department of Health and Social Care said full details of the housing programme would be published later this year.
Health and social care minister Karin Smyth said patients and NHS staff "deserve modern buildings, reliable equipment and services fit for the future".
She said "too many NHS buildings are crumbling and outdated" and described the investment plan as a long-term commitment that would help deliver "faster appointments, better facilities, modern technology and more care closer to home".
Ministers said the plan is designed to reduce living costs for NHS employees, particularly in areas where housing is expensive, while also cutting commuting times and making it easier for hospitals to recruit staff.
The housing proposal forms part of the government's 10-year capital investment plan for the NHS.
Plans to reduce maintenance backlog
Alongside the housing scheme, the government has committed £6.75 billion over the next nine years to repair ageing NHS buildings and reduce a maintenance backlog estimated at £15.9bn.
Official figures show that more than 4,100 patient appointments or treatments were disrupted last year because of problems such as leaking roofs, heating failures and electrical faults.
An additional £2bn will be spent on repairing hospitals affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), while £200 million has been allocated to improve GP surgeries, including converting unused rooms into treatment spaces.
Latest NHS figures show that 87 NHS trusts and the NHS Property Service have surplus land available for development, covering more than 135 hectares.
Sir Ciaran Devane, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, welcomed the focus on long-term investment, saying multi-year funding, quicker approvals and spending on GP premises and technology would help NHS leaders modernise services, improve productivity and strengthen patient care.
Plans have also been announced to speed up approval for NHS building projects worth up to £300m by giving the Department of Health and Social Care, instead of the Treasury, the authority to sign them off.
As part of the wider investment programme, 250 neighbourhood health centres will be developed to bring GP services and other community healthcare under one roof, alongside further spending on NHS technology.
Siva Anandaciva, director of policy at The King's Fund, said the housing proposal reflected the kind of joined-up government approach that had been missing. However, he questioned whether the funding would be enough to turn the government's plans into completed building projects.
