The latest Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) published by NHS England on 15 October estimates that the cost of eradicating the NHS maintenance backlog in England rose to £17.3bn in 2025/26, up from £15.9bn the previous year.
The total cost of running the NHS estate also increased, reaching £14.4bn, according to the data.
The figures cover the financial year from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and provide information on the costs of maintaining and operating NHS buildings, hospital equipment and facilities services.
The estimated cost of addressing high-risk maintenance issues increased by 5.8%, from £3.5bn to £3.7bn.
The backlog of significant-risk maintenance issues rose by 8%, from £5.6bn to £6bn.
The moderate-risk backlog increased by 11.8%, from £5bn to £5.6bn, while the low-risk category rose by 11.3%, from £1.8bn to £2bn.
The backlog estimate represents the investment required to restore buildings and other estate assets to a defined condition, based on assessed risk. It excludes planned maintenance.
The latest figures follow previous increases in the estimated cost of NHS estate repairs, with NHS Digital reporting a £15.9bn backlog in October 2025.
NHS estate running costs increase
The total cost of running the NHS estate reached £14.4bn in 2025/26, compared with £14bn in 2024/25.
Energy consumption across the estate fell slightly over the same period, from 11.3 billion kWh to 11.2 billion kWh.
Cleaning services cost £1.6bn, while inpatient food provision accounted for £800m. Both figures were unchanged from the previous year.
ERIC collects annual data on NHS estates and facilities, including building maintenance, utilities, cleaning, catering, laundry and portering services.
NHS England said all 205 trusts required to submit an ERIC return for 2025/26 had done so.
The collection is mandatory, with returns subject to validation checks and sign-off by trust estates directors.
The organisation also cautioned that some data fields are marked as unreliable where definitions have changed or information has only recently been added to the collection.
Users are advised to consult the accompanying data quality documentation when interpreting the results.
