The biggest hospital building programme in a generation

From improving mental health and learning disability services in Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear to building a new Woman and Children’s Hospital in Cornwall, this building programme will bring top-class healthcare services to more people locally.

These hospitals are part of our wider plans to invest in buildings and equipment across the NHS to ensure our world-class healthcare system and staff have the facilities they need for the future.

Hear how our building programme will make a difference to communities across the country

Natalie Forrest

As Senior Responsible Officer, Natalie Forrest will lead on the delivery of the programme.

Natalie brings a wealth of health, construction and project management experience, most recently as Chief Executive of Chase Farm Hospital. A registered nurse with over 30 years of experience in the NHS, Natalie most recently led the construction and running of NHS Nightingale London in response to the pandemic.

Working together

Our ambitious plans will be made possible through joint working across the health and care system.

NHS Hospital Trusts will work with a central programme team, as well as local and regional stakeholders, to design and deliver the hospitals. This will promote best practice, value for money and shared learning across the hospital schemes in the programme.

As a nurse, I have seen first-hand the difference that investment in our hospitals can make. New hospitals bring new opportunities and our hospital building programme will mean better facilities and more modern spaces for staff to work in and patients to visit.

I am excited by the scope and ambition of this new programme. From green, energy-efficient buildings which benefit the environment to hospitals using state-of-the-art technology to improve the health of the local population, this is our opportunity to make a real difference to the health and lives of our communities.

Natalie Forrest

Senior Responsible Officer of the New Hospital Programme

What will these new hospitals look like?

Hospitals come in different shapes and sizes and each new hospital will be designed to meet the needs of the local area, staff and patients, now and in the future. In some cases, they will be new hospitals on a new site, in other cases a new hospital on an existing site, major redevelopment or refurbishment on an existing site or a new wing of an existing hospital, provided it contains a whole clinical service. For example, some may offer dedicated facilities for women and children or for cancer treatment.

Each of the new hospitals will deliver brand new, state-of-the-art facilities to ensure world-class provision of healthcare for NHS patients and staff.

To find out more about each scheme, use the map on the homepage to click through and read about what is happening in your local area.

How will these hospitals be delivered?

The hospitals can work with other projects at a similar stage to them and ensure key learning from the early hospital builds can be applied to future projects.

All the hospitals will prioritise sustainability, digital technology and the latest construction methods to see them built as quickly as possible, to the highest standards. The timing of each build may change based on how ready some hospital plans are or how the scope of their plans develop.

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