Responding to the Liberal Democrat Party’s announcement of an extra £1 billion a year to fix crumbling NHS buildings Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said:

“Health leaders and their teams will welcome the focus on repairing the crumbling NHS estate, with the backlog maintenance bill now standing at £11.6 billion. Not only are buildings that are dilapidated or no longer fit for purpose demoralising for staff but they can also be a safety risk for patients as well as a barrier to productivity.

“While the £1 billion extra pledged by the Liberal Democrats is welcome, it will barely scratch the surface. That is why we have been calling on whichever party forms the next government to increase NHS capital funding by £6.4 billion a year to carry out essential repairs, replace out of date equipment and invest in the latest digital technologies.”