PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
NHS: Buildings (10 October 2024)
Question Asked
Asked by:
Josh Fenton-Glynn (Labour)
Answer
The following table shows data that NHS England has collected and published on occupancy costs, the total expenses associated with occupying and operating buildings, including finance costs, hard and soft facilities management costs, and other management costs, for unoccupied National Health Service sites since 2021/22:
Financial Year | Number of Sites Unoccupied | Occupancy Cost Incurred |
2021/22 | 18 | £2,740,553 |
2022/23 | 23 | £3,468,536 |
2023/24 | 27 | £4,350,825 |
Source: NHS England
Note: NHS England does not hold pre-2021 data and is unable to allocate occupancy costs to parts of unused buildings or spaces. As such the above data represents only unoccupied whole sites. The NHS ENgland definition of unoccupied sites covers empty spaces, those not in use, and those closed awaiting disposal, and includes hospitals, health centres, mental health hubs, stores and warehouses, and administrative buildings.
The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future. This means not only upgrading but better utilising infrastructure across the entire NHS estate to reduce vacant or unused spaces and their associated costs over time.
Answered by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)
22 October 2024
Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.