Several hospitals in London facing delays in redevelopment have expressed concerns that they might have to temporarily close their facilities while awaiting government financial support, as many of their structures are in a state of disrepair.
St Helier Hospital in Sutton, St Mary’s in Paddington, Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, Hammersmith Hospital, and Whipps Cross in Leyton had been promised funding for renovations by 2030 under the previous Conservative administration.
However, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced on Monday that these projects could be postponed until as late as 2038.
Streeting did confirm, on a positive note, that Hillingdon Hospital in west London would receive funding for reconstruction between 2025 and 2030.
St Helier Hospital, which commenced operations in 1941, has had to demolish a ward due to sinking foundations and issues with windows detaching. The facility frequently experiences lift malfunctions that remain unrepaired, windows are covered with tape, and around 600 surgeries were cancelled last year because of ventilation problems stemming from the deteriorating condition of the operating theatres, according to the hospital.
The trust has been assured funding from various government initiatives for over 20 years and had been planning a new specialized emergency care hospital in Sutton, along with upgrades to its current locations.
Following a reassessment of the New Hospital Programme, the start of funding for its projects has now been pushed back to 2032-2034.
“This is devastating news for our patients,” expressed Dr. James Marsh, the deputy chief executive of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.
“Many areas of our facilities have already deteriorated significantly. We’ve had to condemn and demolish one of our wards, and it’s only a matter of time before other sections of the hospital become unsafe for patient care.”
He emphasized the need to prepare for a potential catastrophic failure of the buildings, which could necessitate relocating patient services to temporary facilities.
Bobby Dean, the Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington, warned that additional closures would exacerbate wait times for patients.
“This means the queue for treatment is only going to grow longer, as they cannot provide care in unsafe conditions,” he said, adding that he would urge the government to expedite funding.
“The foundation is sinking, the building leaks—it’s clearly not suitable for use. Maintaining the current estate costs them hundreds of millions; investing that amount wisely over the long term would save money for the NHS.”
After the government’s review, plans to renovate the aging St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and refurbish Charing Cross and Hammersmith hospitals—serving millions in west London—have been postponed until 2035-2038.
Prof Tim Orchard, CEO of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, told the BBC that St Mary’s requires urgent reconstruction, yet the project has been “continuously postponed for the last 25 years.”
“We are currently delivering care in buildings more than 180 years old, and now face the possibility of remaining there for another 15 years,” he continued.
He highlighted that the likelihood of some facilities closing due to safety concerns is “growing day by day,” as reliable supplies of electricity, heating, and water are not guaranteed.
Prof Orchard also stated that he believes rebuilding St Mary’s is “an endeavor that must be pursued” and he plans to advocate for immediate governmental financial support.
Whipps Cross Hospital, which serves a broad community in east London, was slated for reconstruction by 2026 under previous plans.
The redevelopment includes the addition of 1,500 new homes on the existing site and a multi-storey car park, which has already been constructed.
However, after the review, funding for completing the project will now not be available until 2032-2034.
Shane DeGaris, CEO of Barts Health NHS Trust, expressed his disappointment regarding the situation for patients.
“They will have to endure substandard conditions for what appears to be at least another five years,” he stated.
DeGaris mentioned that he is trying to understand the rationale behind this decision, especially since his project had already commenced.
“What this means is that we’ll have to allocate significantly more taxpayer money to keep the hospital operational until the new facility is built… it feels like throwing good money after bad.”
