Labour criticises ‘fire sale’ of NHS hospital assets

Labour has accused the government of selling off valuable hospital assets to help plug a hole in NHS finances.

Figures from NHS Digital show that the amount of NHS land in England set for sale has more than doubled over the past year.

Analysis by Labour found that 117 sites that were deemed surplus were still in medical or clinical use.

Ministers said selling land would bring vital funds for patient care and make space for much needed new housing.

The government has set itself a target of selling off enough public sector land to generate £5 billion worth of income by 2020. The NHS is asked to contribute as a major property owner.

But Labour said hospitals were being stripped of their assets and forced into a ‘fire sale’.

The Department for Health said selling surplus land and buildings reduced running costs and it was right to put sites that were no longer needed to economic use. It said that any income generated would be used to improve NHS services.

Jonathan Ashworth, shadow health secretary, said: “This government's refusal to fund the health service has seen standards of care for patients drop and NHS building and upgrade works pushed back.

"The NHS needs an urgent injection of funding to make up for years of Tory underfunding, but the answer is not a blanket sell-off of sites which are currently being used for patient care."