...as bill for building soars to £9.2billion

THE bill to clear the NHS’s maintenance backlog has soared to a record £9.2billion – almost the same as annual running costs.

It marks a 2.2 per cent increase on the previous year, according to NHS Digital figures which looked at the sum needed for maintenance upgrades between April 2020 and March this year. Meanwhile the total costs of running the NHS estate reached £10.2billion – a 4.8 per cent increase.

Experts have warned that a substantial proportion of buildings and equipment need ‘urgent action’ to be made safe, adding that funding difficulties could jeopardise the NHS’s ability to tackle record waiting lists.