Bill for backlog of hospital repairs climbs to £3.4bn

The Government was accused of presiding over a "crumbling" NHS yesterday when figures revealed that the bill for the backlog of hospital repairs had soared to £3.4bn.

The total has risen by 21 per cent from £2.8bn in March 1997 when the Tories were in power.

The Liberal Democrats said the figures contrasted with the Government's target in its NHS plan of cutting the repairs backlog by 25 per cent by 2004.

According to a written parliamentary answer to Dr Evan Harris, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, the backlog bill is now £3.4bn across all regions in England, equivalent to £117 for every taxpayer.

Backlog maintenance is defined as "the amount of money required to bring the physical condition of the estate, the statutory safety condition and the fire safety condition, up to Condition B". Condition B is broadly defined as "sound, operationally safe, and exhibits only minor deterioration".

The physical condition of NHS estates are assessed in three categories: internal and external buildings; mechanical systems; and electrical systems. Dr Harris said: "Our hospitals have been so cash-strapped for so long that they are in a very sorry state, and getting worse. This has serious implications for the safety of patients and staff.

"While our hospitals are dilapidated, the Government are going around with a white cloth, trying to meet cleanliness targets. Crumbling hospitals make it harder to stop infections. Patients need to be reassured that they are being treated in a health service fit for the 21st century."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said the two main reasons for the increase were high building costs and tougher Whitehall standards.

"The construction rate of inflation is more than double the normal rate of inflation. That plays a part, but also the department now requires all trusts to have estate strategies with higher standards for cleaner, better decorated and tidier hospitals," he said.

A government source said not a single privately financed hospital suffered from a repairs backlog because the work had to be done by the private sector, not the taxpayer.

The Liberal Democrats said other reasons for the dilapidated state of hospitals were poor design and under-funding under the Conservatives, and under Labour in the previous Parliament.

Poor short-term repairs made because of a lack of cash and the system of capital charging under the Tory internal market were also blamed. The internal market was supposed to encourage trusts to get rid of old or under-used assets. In practice, it forced many trusts not to replace ageing equipment or buildings, to avoid incurring a capital charge.

Other factors were a reallocation of cash to other priorities, for example mixed-sex wards, another government target. The cost of allowing access for people with disabilities under a law that takes effect next year is estimated to be £540m.