New figures showing how much upkeep and repairs to its buildings and facilities cost the NHS reveal:

• The maintenance backlog is £10.2bn (up 11% since last year).
• Investment to cut the backlog went up 57% to £1.4bn from 2020/21 to 2021/22.
• More than half (52%) of the total backlog is a high and significant risk.
• Trusts are shouldering £5.3bn of that risk – £700m more than 2020/21.

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said:

"The maintenance backlog across the NHS continues to grow at an alarming rate.

"Far too many NHS buildings and facilities are in very poor condition and the latest figures show the situation is getting worse. The costs of trying to patch up creaking infrastructure and out-of-date facilities are piling up.

"It's not just about old boilers and bricks and mortar. Safety of patients and staff is at the heart of everything the NHS does.

"That's why we need a step change in capital investment by the government as well as urgent clarity and commitment about its delayed New Hospitals Programme. Nearly two in three trust leaders who responded to our recent survey said delays to the programme affected their ability to deliver safe and effective patient care.

"The NHS needs buildings and equipment that are safe, efficient and reliable for patients and staff. Without proper funding, leaky roofs and ceilings, obsolete equipment and ageing IT won't get fixed or replaced, compromising quality of care."