PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Hospitals: Construction (30 April 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help increase (a) internal expertise and (b) capacity in the New Hospitals Programme in (i) technical design and (ii) programme delivery.

Asked by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)

As is usual for major Government programmes, the New Hospitals Programme (NHP) is using both internal and external resources to ensure the right capabilities and specialist skills are in place to deliver the programme. The NHP is procuring its long-term delivery partner, which will provide flexible external expertise in technical design, commercial functions, programme delivery capabilities, and other areas.

The NHP is developing a Knowledge and Skills Transfer (KST) Strategy to embed the self-sustaining knowledge and skills required to deliver the programme, ensuring that as the balance within the team changes, the appropriate transfers take place.

The NHP continues to support its employees' development and regularly reviews the Learning and Development offer available across the programme, to support staff in the successful delivery of the programme. This includes supporting staff within the NHP, and Project Directors from NHS England trusts, to take advantage of the Government’s Project Academy by participating in the Project Leadership Programme and Major Projects Leadership Academy.

Answered by:
Andrew Stephenson (Conservative)
7 May 2024