Treasury restrictions on how much hospitals in England can spend on capital projects are forcing some to put off developments crucial for patient safety, according to NHS leaders, despite there being money available for the improvements.
The organisation NHS providers, which represents hospital, mental health, community and ambulance trusts, claims that years of austerity has led trusts to not buy new scanners and ambulances, replace old wards and even repair damaged and leaking roofs, and now a “crisis point” has been reached.
This year the providers submitted their budgets for capital expenditure, but they were rejected by the Department of Health and Social Care, and providers have now been told to reduce their budgets.
Full article in Financial Times, 9 July 2019