The safety of patients and staff is being put at risk by NHS buildings that are “falling apart”, according to health senior health leaders.

The list of essential repairs waiting to be done on NHS buildings across the UK is increasing, while costs to carry out the works are continuing to rise.

The cost to eradicate the backlog of NHS repairs in England alone now stands at £13.8 billion, up 19% from £11.6 billion in 2023.

This backlog bill is a measure of how much cash is needed to restore buildings to a good state and refers to maintenance work that should already have taken place rather than any that is planned.

Patients and staff are being put at riskLeaving some of these NHS buildings without urgent repairs are putting patients and staff at risk, according to health leaders. (Image: PA) Meanwhile, recent data showed the cost of ‘high risk’ repairs waiting to be done has risen 16% to £2.74 billion.

NHS buildings 'falling apart' putting patients and staff at risk

Deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said: “Vital bits of the NHS are literally falling apart after years of underinvestment nationally.

“The safety of patients and staff is at risk.

“The list of essential repairs across the NHS waiting to be done keeps getting longer and the costs are rocketing.

“This can’t go on. Eye-watering sums are needed just to patch up buildings and equipment which are in a very bad way right across hospitals, mental health, community health and ambulance services.

“With the Government’s Budget less than a fortnight away, it’s vital ministers provide an urgent capital funding boost and rethink rules on capital investment in the NHS so that trusts can tackle the near-£14 billion maintenance backlog, give patients safe surroundings and boost productivity.”

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Chief executive of the King’s Fund, Sarah Woolnough, added: “While this data is provisional, it is already indicating a substantial leap in the cost and severity of maintenance issues with NHS buildings and equipment.

“This will ring alarm bells for the new Government as it prepares for its first autumn Budget.

“The NHS capital backlog is now £13.8bn, more than the entire capital budget for this financial year.

“Such a sizeable backlog will be a significant obstacle to the NHS increasing productivity and delivering more value for taxpayers and better quality care for patients.

“But most worryingly it also poses an increasing safety risk to staff and patients.

“There has been a 16% increase in the ‘high risk’ backlog – where failure to urgently address repairs could lead to serious injury and major disruption to services.

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The King's Fund chief executive continued: “This gaping backlog in essential repairs to NHS buildings and estates has grown over many years due to the repeated raiding of capital budgets to shore up day-to-day running costs, and short-term sticking plaster solutions instead of strategically investing in the facilities and equipment a modern health care service needs.

“More substantial funding decisions will come in spring with the publication of the Government’s 10-year health and care plan, the comprehensive spending review, and NHS leaders will hope to see further clarity on the new hospital programme.

“But all eyes are on the forthcoming Budget in a few weeks, for signs that this Government is taking a longer-term approach to investing in health and care services.”