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The government may be proud of its pledge to build “40 new hospitals” by 2030 but half of the trusts in the flagship programme are apparently less than confident about having the cash to deliver their rebuilds.

A survey by NHS Providers also found just one in five organisations questioned felt confident their funding allocation, at this stage, was sufficient to see their project through.

The picture became even more uncertain this week when the minister responsible for the New Hospitals Programme – Edward Argar – resigned from the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the rebellion against Boris Johnson.

The NHS Providers survey – answered by executive directors at 26 of the 34 trusts in the programme – found 80 per cent of trusts surveyed in the programme’s first cohort were confident their funding allocation was enough. This cohort comprises schemes which were all announced (and in some cases construction started) before the government’s manifesto pledge to build “40 new hospitals”.

However, 66 per cent of cohort three and 55 per cent of cohort four trusts surveyed said they were “not confident” their allocated funding would be enough. The cohort three and four trusts account for more than 20 schemes and include some of the programme’s biggest projects.

Outstanding… and unsafe

A mental health trust rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission has been criticised by the regulator for ‘unsafe’ staffing.

Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation Trust ‘wasn’t delivering safe care’ in one of its inpatient wards for adults with autism and learning disabilities due to short staffing, an inspection found.

The unannounced inspection in February, into the 10-bed unit at Rose Lodge, South Tyneside, came following whistleblowing concerns to the CQC.

Inspectors found there was a high use of agency staff at the unit and some shifts were “falling below safe staffing levels”.

The trust has insisted it’s taken “immediate action” to address the shortcomings, and that a follow-up inspection from the CQC has given positive initial feedback.

CNTW was also criticised by the CQC in January last year, for high use of restrictive practices – and told the trust to review the situation.

Also on hsj.co.uk today

On this week’s Health Check podcast we of course turn our attentions to the arrival of Steve Barclay, as well as to the shocking true extent of the cancer care backlog. And the week would not be complete without a take on events from Julian Patterson, who offers an update on some very modern public health challenges.