The Department of Health and Social Care has published its terms of reference (ToR), which outlines the scope, objectives, and governance for the review of the New Hospital Programme.
The formal online document states that the seven hospitals most affected by RAAC are exempt from the review and the rebuild projects will "proceed at pace due to the substantive safety risks associated with these".
Out of scope of the review will also be hospitals within the New Hospital Programme that have "approved full business cases, and any associated phases that have specific commitments," according to the document.
The formal online document states that the seven hospitals most affected by RAAC are exempt from the review
In scope will be all remaining hospitals in the New Hospital Programme without full business case approvals for their main build phase.
The hospitals in scope will be prioritised according to an as yet undisclosed criteria.
The review will look at the possible timelines for delivery for each scheme, along with clinical considerations, risk and cost profiles, and present a range of options to be taken forward.
The hospitals in scope will be prioritised according to the criteria
Options and recommendations for phasing of the programme will then be established for ministers to consider.
The recommended options for scope, size, and phasing will be supported by confirmation of the optimum approach for delivery, underpinning clinical assumptions, and the associated commercial strategy.
Initially, the review was requested by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
The review will present a full range of options to be taken forward for the overall size and ambition of the programme
The review process will be jointly led and resourced across the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England, and HM Treasury (HMT).
Overall, the review will present a full range of options to be taken forward for the overall size and ambition of the programme to provide a clear approach for the programme going forward.
Further, the review will feed into the spending review process, where decisions on the outcome will be taken in the round and the government will confirm the outcome of the review as part of that process.
