Meanwhile, Sam Higginson, the chief executive of Royal Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, says he is “deeply disappointed” that the redevelopment of his North Devon District Hospital may have to wait until 2038.
“For us that’s too far in the future,” he says. “There is a limit how long we can run that infrastructure for and we are right at that limit.”
He says he would be seeking money from NHS England and the government to try to keep the operating theatres and A&E running as best they can, warning otherwise the drive to tackle the hospital waiting list could be hit.
The government has said it is committed to the projects. But, as they will all now slip into the next Parliament and, as such, there is no money yet committed to cover the costs, there is real concern behind the scenes about whether this timetable can even be kept to.
“They’ve kicked us all into the long grass,” says one NHS leader, who wished to remain anonymous. “A commitment to do something in 10 years’ time is almost meaningless.”
Matthew Taylor, head of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, says he understands such concerns, adding: “They feel let down.”
And he says the government will need to take into account how compromised the NHS leaders are with their dilapidated estates when it comes to judging their performance in the coming years.
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