In January 2025, the UK government published a reset implementation plan for the NHS New Hospital Programme (NHP) after recognising that its original commitment, to build or modernise 40 hospitals by 2030, was not deliverable under the existing schedule or funding.
The reset reorganised all projects into multi-year waves, introducing a realistic pipeline of construction start windows, completion horizons and phased delivery across two decades.
It also updated costs, added contingency, and moved the estimated overall completion out to the mid-2040s.
This month, the National Audit Office released an update on the NHP, which resets some of the previous timelines.
Under the reset, Wave 0 and 1 hospitals will open in the late 2020s and early 2030s, Wave 2 in the late 2030s, and the most complex Wave 3 projects are now expected to complete around 2045–46.
The reset reflects the NAO’s assessment that achieving the original 2030 target was unrealistic without a sustainable funding profile and adequate construction capacity, a view emphasised in its January 2026 update.
So, what changed, and who and what is in a wave?
Wave 0 (projects already under construction)- expected completion 2026–2028
- Royal Bournemouth Hospital
- Dorset County Hospital
- National Rehabilitation Centre (Nottinghamshire)
Wave 1 (to start construction between 2025 and 2030)- expected completion 2030-2034
- West Suffolk Hospital
- Leighton Hospital
- Frimley Park Hospital
- Hinchingbrooke Hospital
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- James Paget Hospital
- Airedale General Hospital
- Poole Hospital
- Milton Keynes Hospital
- 3Ts Hospital (Brighton)
- Women & Children’s Hospital, Cornwall
- Derriford Emergency Care Hospital
- Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital
- North Manchester General Hospital
- Hillingdon Hospital
- Shotley Bridge Community Hospital
Several hospitals with structural safety issues, particularly those constructed with reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (RAAC), were prioritised in wave 1, since patient and staff safety is paramount and these are considered high-risk sites.
Wave 2 (to start construction between 2030 and 2035)- expected completion 2035-2040
- Leicester General Hospital & Leicester Royal Infirmary
- Watford General Hospital
- Specialist and Emergency Care Hospital (Sutton)
- Kettering General Hospital
- Leeds General Infirmary (modernisation)
- Musgrove Park Hospital
- Princess Alexandra Hospital
- Torbay Hospital
- Whipps Cross Hospital
Wave 2 captures a mix of general and specialist facilities that did not make wave 1, many with longer planning cycles. These include larger regional hospitals and specialist centres.
Wave 3 (to start construction between 2035 and 2039)- expected completion 2040–2045+
- St Mary’s Hospital (London)
- Charing Cross and Hammersmith hospitals
- North Devon District Hospital
- Eastbourne District General & Conquest/Bexhill Hospitals
- Hampshire Hospitals
- Royal Berkshire Hospital
- Royal Preston Hospital
- Royal Lancaster Infirmary
- Queen’s Medical Centre & Nottingham City Hospital
This final construction wave targets some of the most complex and long-lead schemes, many in London and other major city regions. These include major urban and complex hospital projects.
The final hospitals in the programme are now expected to be completed around 2045–46, well beyond the original 2030 goal.