The successful and timely building by government of 40 new hospitals is central to the delivery of safe, world-class healthcare. Many parts of the NHS estate are in extremely poor condition and, in some cases, demolition and rebuild is the only viable way forward. Trusts need the freedom to meaningfully progress their building schemes, not only as part of the government's manifesto commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030, but also to drive significant and long overdue improvements in patient safety, experience and outcomes, service capacity, and staff recruitment and retention.

To understand trusts' experience and progress to date, we carried out a survey of trusts currently included within the New Hospital Programme covering questions around funding, delays and the value of the programme.