Investment in NHS estate

A total of £1.1 billion is to be invested in major NHS projects and programmes over the next 4 years.

Additionally a further £290 million worth of investment is planned to support health and social care integration and shift the balance of care from hospitals to local facilities and people’s homes where relevant.

The Annual State of NHS Scotland Assets and Facilities Report for 2015 details the investment by the Scottish Government and NHS boards in major projects and programmes.

Over the past five years an overall investment of around £1 billion has gone into delivering two of the largest acute hospital facilities ever built in Scotland – the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Primary and community care services have also benefited from a wide reaching investment programme with over 25 new health and care facilities delivered or currently being planned across Scotland.

Further transformation of the NHS estate includes the on-going construction of a hospital replacement facility in Dumfries, the expansion of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, and the completion of the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children. These investments of over £500 million will improve quality of care for patients.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “This Government is committed to improving the quality of the NHS estate and this is why, with our health boards, we have a clear plan in place to deliver the investment our health facilities need.

“Over the past five years we have invested around £1 billion to deliver two of the largest acute hospitals ever built in Scotland. This along with work underway in Dumfries and Edinburgh, is transforming the way healthcare is delivered in Scotland, while also ensuring we provide the facilities and the capacity needed in our NHS for the future.

“Other initiatives highlighted in this report include the £200 million network of new elective treatment centres being planned across Scotland which will enable people to be treated more quickly for planned surgery while easing the pressure off unplanned and emergency treatment

“Investment in infrastructure will also help us make best use of the NHS’s finite resources – reducing the cost of maintaining older and less suitable buildings.

“This report shows that health boards also remain focussed on ensuring that their existing estate and facilities deliver value for money, are safe, and fit for purpose. This is highlighted in the report through the improved condition, functionality and utilisation of the NHS estate over the past 12 months.”

Getting the right assets and facilities in place has been central to delivering Scottish Government’s 2020 Vision for improving the quality of care, health of the population, and the value and sustainability of resources, and this drive for improvement is expected to continue over the next few years.

Over the past five years more than 700,000 square metres of accommodation over 50 years old has been removed and where appropriate replaced with new modern facilities, and an additional 300,000 square metres of estate is now available to support effective health and care services.

NHS Scotland owns physical assets worth around £6.3 billion. The majority of the NHS Scotland estate is owned, although PPP and PFI account for 19 per cent of the NHS estate.

Health boards report that 66 per cent of their estate is in good physical condition, up from 58% in 2014.