NHS buildings and equipment 'rapidly improving': Reid

The fabric of NHS hospitals, buildings and equipment is "rapidly improving", according to the latest assessment of the NHS estate.

Published today by Health Secretary, John Reid, the report shows how new hospitals, walk in centres, refurbished wards, affordable housing for NHS staff and state of the art equipment has "all been delivered across the NHS estate over the last six years".

'A new generation of healthcare facilities - Modernising the Fabric of the NHS' shows that more than £21 billion is being invested on improving the infrastructure of the NHS and this is having a "huge impact" on services for patients, the government has said.

The report shows that in 1995, half of the buildings in the NHS were older than the NHS itself. Today, that figure stands at fewer than a quarter.

The report shows that £120 million has been invested since 2001 to modernise or replace Nightingale wards for older people. More than 400 wards have benefited so far and by next April over 600 wards will have been updated or replaced - and more than 200 maternity units have been refurbished.

Up to £329 million has also been allocated to 30 schemes to replace unsuitable mental health accommodation.

The report shows that the NHS's equipment stock is also being expanded and updated. Cancer units have 44 new MRI scanners, 61 Linear Accelerators, 137 CT scanners and over 600 items of breast scanning equipment. For heart patients, 81 new or replacement cardiac catheter laboratories have been announced and there are more to follow, the government says.

Health Secretary John Reid said: "We are regenerating the estate, which means staff and patients will be able to work and be treated in modern, purpose-built facilities, tailored to modern healthcare. Practically everywhere I visit in the NHS I see evidence of building work in progress - new wards, refurbished buildings and brand new facilities."

The headline figures contained in the report plus £6 billion operational capital allocations come to a combined total spend of over £21 billion. This does not account for all the capital spend in the NHS over the period 1997-2010.

(gmcg)