Leeds General Infirmary rebuild delayed to 2030

The planned redevelopment of Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) will not begin before 2030, the Health Secretary has said.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Wes Streeting said LGI was one of a number of hospital schemes now slated to start between 2030 and 2035.

The multimillion-pound project had been due to be carried out under the former Conservative government's New Hospitals Programme, which pledged to deliver 40 news hospitals by 2030.

Prof Phil Wood, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals said he was "extremely disappointed" by the delay.

"We have been waiting since 2019 to build this new hospital for our patients, staff and communities in Leeds, Yorkshire and beyond," he said.

"For some time now, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has had advanced and well-developed plans for a new hospital at Leeds General Infirmary.

"We have a cleared construction site, made considerable progress with our preparatory works and have been working towards securing more detailed planning consent, following the outline planning consent which was secured in 2020."

Mr Streeting said the Conservative's pledge had been "built on the shaky foundation of false hope" and said the new timetable was "honest, funded and can actually be delivered".

"I know patients in some parts of the country will be disappointed by this new timetable," he told MPs on Monday.

"They are right to be. They were led up the garden path by three Conservative Prime Ministers, all promising hospitals with no credible plan for funding to deliver them."

According to a report published by the Department of Health and Social Care the estimated cost of building work at LGI is between £1.5 and £2.5bn.

The scheme includes a new children's hospital, a new adult hospital and a maternity centre, as well as wider plans to develop a "Leeds Innovation Village" that would attract research and jobs.

Mr Streeting said improvements to Airedale General Hospital, in Keighley, have also been delayed, with construction now due to start between 2025 and 2030.

Responding to Mr Streeting's comments Ed Argar, the Shadow Health Secretary, said "this is a Labour government of broken promises".

He added: "Voters put their trust in the party opposite to deliver their promises, but today they have been let down."

Mr Argar said to blame it on Labour's economic inheritance "simply doesn't reflect the reality".

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