NHS hospitals skipping ‘vital repairs’ because of cash crisis, says Labour
2 min read
Cash-strapped hospitals are suffering from leaking sewage pipes, broken roofs and outbreaks of rodents because vital funds are being diverted from their maintenance budgets, Labour has claimed.
New figures collected under Freedom of Information laws by the opposition show that 71% of NHS trusts experienced leaking or broken roofs between 2015 and 2017 - with one trust recording an average of 13 such incidents a month.
Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of NHS trusts reported a broken or leaving sewage pipe over the same period, with 95% of them forced to bring in pest control services to handle creatures including mice, ants and wasps.
Shadow Health Minister Justin Madders pointed the finger at eight years of “chronic underfunding” of the health service.
“With the Government diverting resources from maintenance budgets to keep everyday services running, vital repairs are not being carried out, creating unsafe work environments which are already disrupting patient care,” he said.
Mr Madders added: “The safety of patients and our hardworking NHS staff is at risk in hospitals with leaking roofs, broken sewage pipes and ageing fire safety infrastructure. There is now an urgent need for greater NHS funding – ministers must take action to make our NHS safe.”
Labour is warning that NHS trusts have been forced to shift £3.8bn away from their capital budgets - meant to be used for long-term spending on areas including maintenance and buildings - because the Government has not provided them with the cash they need for day-to-day costs.
Some 42 trusts revealed that they had outstanding repair bills, with one trust reporting a maintenance backlog of more than £4m.
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers which represents trusts, said shifting money from capital budgets “simply stores up problems for the future”.
She added: “Not only are we seeing a growing maintenance backlog, but the proportion deemed ‘high’ and ‘significant’ risk has also been rising year by year. This increases the risk of disruption and delays, and may pose a risk to patient safety.”
Chancellor Philip Hammond unveiled a £3.5 billion infrastructure boost for hospitals at his last Budget, while ministers have promised to ramp up NHS funding in time for the organisation’s 70th anniversary later this year.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
