The College's President, Professor Clare McNaught together with Mrs Juliette Murray (Chair of the Faculty of Perioperative Practice) and Professor Phil Turner (Vice President) met with senior representatives from NHS England's New Hospitals Programme (NHP) on Thursday 20 August 2026.
The NHP is a major healthcare infrastructure initiative that seeks to both refurbish existing hospitals and build new facilities over the next decade. As new hospitals will be built on a modular basis so they can be adapted to meet changing needs, the meeting was the first in a series we will have with them to ensure the hospitals are optimally configured to meet the needs of both patients and all members of the extended surgical team.
Issues were raised, such as the need for staff to have readily accessible administration and rest facilities and that transport links are considered to enable staff to get easily and safely to work. Not only is this important in raising staff morale, but better working environments have a vital role in developing new workplace cultures, improving surgical training, and fostering innovative working.
We also sought assurances that the number of beds ringfenced for surgical patients would not be reduced and that lessons would be learned from previous hospital builds that prioritised design over the practical requirements for efficient and safe care.
We will be meeting with the NHP again over the coming months as they finalise the modular designs upon which these new hospitals will be built. If you would like more information about the NHP, please contact Chris Sanderson, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at c.sanderson@rcsed.ac.uk.