Government’s “new deal” does not erase years of underinvestment in NHS buildings, say leaders

The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, has promised to accelerate £1.5bn (€1.66bn; $1.86bn) of funding for new buildings in the NHS as part of his “new deal” to help the country recover from covid-19.

He said that the money would accelerate hospital maintenance, eradicating mental health dormitories, enabling hospital building, and improving emergency department capacity.1

Healthcare leaders welcomed the announcement but warned that the government faced an uphill challenge to deliver, given the years of underinvestment that had left …