The government has confirmed all projects in the New Hospital Programme will be built – but it will take a decade or more longer.

Following a review, funding and a “realistic timetable” has been announced to put the New Hospital Programme on track to deliver all of its hospital projects.

The review has found the previous government’s commitment to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030 was “behind schedule, unfunded and therefore undeliverable”.

In its annual report, published last week, the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) also deemed the previous scheme "unachievable", rating the programme as red and highlighting major issues including with the schedule and budget.

The new plan will be backed with £15bn of new investment over consecutive five-year waves, averaging £3bn a year.

Wes Streeting, health and social care secretary, said: “The New Hospital Programme we inherited was unfunded and undeliverable. Not a single new hospital was built in the past five years, and there was no credible funding plan to build forty in the next five years.

“When I walked into the Department of Health and Social Care, I was told that the funding for the New Hospitals Programme runs out in March. We were determined to put the programme on a firm footing, so we can build the new hospitals our NHS needs.

“Today we are setting out an honest, funded, and deliverable programme to rebuild our NHS.”

For schemes that were out of scope of the review, those already with approved full business cases, will continue as planned and are already in construction (Wave 0).

The remaining schemes will be allocated to one of three wave groups:

• Schemes in Wave 1 are expected to begin construction between 2025 and 2030. These schemes include hospitals constructed primarily using RAAC and have been prioritised as patient and staff safety is paramount.
• Schemes in Wave 2 are expected to begin construction between 2030 and 2035.
• Schemes in Wave 3 are expected to begin construction between 2035 and 2039.

Hospitals in later waves will be supported on their development and early construction work before then, to ensure that they are ready for main construction.

Morag Stuart, chief programme officer for the New Hospital Programme, said: “This announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care provides certainty on the next steps for the New Hospital Programme.

“We will continue to work with local NHS organisations to deliver improvements to hospitals across England, including making best use of new technology and improving layouts – and ensuring future hospitals are designed to meet the needs of patients and staff.”

The waves of development, with expected construction start dates post-NHP review and cost estimates, are as follows:

Wave 0 schemes - already under construction

• Alumhurst Road Children’s Mental Health Unit, Dorset - £500M or less
• Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Dorset - £500m or less
• St Ann’s Hospital, Dorset - £500m or less
• Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester - £500m or less
• CEDAR Programme - cost estimate not given
• Oriel Eye Hospital - cost estimate not given
• National Rehabilitation Centre - cost estimate not given

Wave 1 schemes - to start construction between 2025 and 2030

• Poole Hospital, Dorset - 2025 to 2026, £500m or less
• Derriford Emergency Care Hospital, Plymouth - 2025 to 2026, £500m or less
• Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital - 2025 to 2026, £500m or less
• Shotley Bridge Community Hospital, Durham - 2026 to 2027, £500m or less
• Milton Keynes Hospital - 2027 to 2028, £500m or less
• Women and Children’s Hospital, Cornwall - 2027 to 2028, £500m or less
• Hillingdon Hospital, north-west London - 2027 to 2028, £1bn to £1.5bn
• North Manchester General Hospital - 2027 to 2028, £1bn to £1.5bn
• West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds (RAAC) - 2027 to 2028, £1bn to £1.5bn
• Hinchingbrooke Hospital (RAAC) - 2027 to 2028,  £501m to £1bn
• James Paget Hospital, Great Yarmouth (RAAC) - 2027 to 2028, £1bn to £1.5bn
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn (RAAC) - 2027 to 2028, £1bn to £1.5bn
• Leighton Hospital (RAAC) - 2027 to 2028, £1bn to £1.5bn
• Airedale General Hospital (RAAC)- 2027 to 2028, £1bn to £1.5bn
• Frimley Park Hospital (RAAC) - 2028 to 2029, £1.5bn to £2bn
• Brighton 3Ts Hospital - 2026 to 2027, cost estimate not given

Wave 2 schemes - to start construction between 2030 and 2035

• Leeds General Infirmary - 2032 to 2034, £1.5bn to £2bn
• Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, Sutton - 2032 to 2034, £1.5bn to £2bn
• Whipps Cross University Hospital, north-east London - 2032 to 2034, £1bn to £1.5bn
• Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow - 2032 to 2034, £1.5bn to £2bn
• Watford General Hospital - 2032 to 2034, £1.5bn to £2bn
• Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and Glenfield Hospital - 2032 to 2034, £1bn to £1.5bn
• Kettering General Hospital - 2032 to 2034, £1bn to £1.5bn           
• Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton -  2032 to 2034, £501m to £1bn
• Torbay Hospital - 2032 to 2034, £501m to £1bn

Wave 3 schemes - to start construction between 2035 and 2039

• Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, London - 2035 to 2038, £1.5bn to £2bn
• North Devon District Hospital, Barnstaple - 2035 to 2038, £1bn to £1.5bn
• Royal Lancaster Infirmary - 2035 to 2038, £1bn to £1.5bn
• St Mary’s Hospital, north-west London - 2035 to 2038, £2bn or more
• Royal Preston Hospital - 2037 to 2039, £2bn or more        
• Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital - 2037 to 2039, £2bn or more   
• Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading - 2037 to 2039, £2bn or more
• Hampshire Hospitals - 2037 to 2039, £2bn or more
• Eastbourne District General, Conquest Hospital and Bexhill Community Hospital - 2037 to 2039, £1.5bn to £2bn