U.K. Confirms $4.8 Billion Hospital Building Plan to Boost NHS

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. government confirmed it will spend 3.7 billion pounds ($4.8 billion) on a major hospital building program, following up on a manifesto commitment to boost the National Health Service.

A total of 40 hospitals will be built, refurbished or get new facilities by 2030 under the plan, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office said in a statement. The sites are spread widely, including in Durham, Leicester, Manchester and Brighton. The government said it is inviting bids for a further eight hospitals.

The Conservatives put NHS funding at the center of the party’s general election campaign last year, and the pledge to boost the state-run health service has gained political significance due to the coronavirus pandemic. Overall, from 2018 to 2023, the Tories have legislated to give the NHS a 20.5 billion-pound boost in real terms, the largest five-year increase since the mid-2000s.

“No matter what this virus throws at us we are determined to build back better and deliver the biggest hospital building program in a generation,” Johnson said.

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