A recent report reveals that the extensive repair needed for deteriorating schools, hospitals, and prisons in the UK will amount to approximately £50 billion. The National Audit Office (NAO) highlights the escalating costs due to neglect over the years, with over 5,400 instances where substandard buildings have negatively impacted patients since 2019.
The NAO emphasizes the urgency for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to address the maintenance backlog in the upcoming government spending review and secure long-term funding to address the deteriorating infrastructure. Analysts estimate that repairing schools, NHS facilities, and Ministry of Defence properties would collectively cost over £20 billion, translating to an average of £710 per person in the UK.
Gareth Davies, the head of NAO, underlines the importance of preventing large maintenance backlogs in public service buildings, emphasizing the need for improved data on asset conditions to efficiently plan maintenance programs for better service delivery and value for money.
The government has pledged immediate action to tackle the consequences of prolonged underinvestment, although the watchdog warns that incomplete and outdated data on government-owned buildings may result in even higher repair costs than currently estimated.
With approximately 136,844 central government-owned buildings valued at around £158 billion, the operational cost for these properties in 2020-21 was £22 billion. Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee, expresses concerns about the risks posed by the deteriorating infrastructure on the safety of workers and service users, particularly noting the impact on NHS operations.
Government officials stress their commitment to addressing the disrepair across the public estate, attributing the situation to historical underinvestment in maintenance. They highlight ongoing multi-billion-pound investments aimed at rectifying critical repairs and enhancing public services, including the refurbishment of hospitals, schools, and prisons as part of a larger strategic plan for improvement.