Surgeons respond to Government’s 10 Year Capital Plan to ‘rebuild the NHS’

Commenting on the Government's 10 Year Capital Plan to ‘rebuild the NHS’, Professor Frank Smith, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:

"We welcome the Government's commitment to a long-term capital plan for the NHS and its recognition that modern, well-maintained buildings are essential to delivering safe, timely care for patients.

"Years of underinvestment have limited what hospitals can deliver. We know from our 2025 surgical workforce census that many surgeons and their teams are still working in ageing buildings, with too few operating theatres, outdated diagnostic equipment and ageing digital infrastructure, all of which limit productivity and the number of patients who can be treated. 

"Investment in NHS infrastructure is vital if the health service is to increase elective activity and reduce waiting times.

"While the funding underpinning this plan was set out in the Spending Review, it is helpful to see a clearer roadmap for how the Government intends to strengthen NHS infrastructure over the coming decade. The true test of this plan will be whether the investment available will be enough to address the NHS maintenance backlog, which stands at £15.9 billion, and provide the theatres, equipment and technology needed to expand NHS capacity."

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Latest data on the UK surgical workforce: UK Surgical Workforce Census — Royal College of Surgeons  
2. The Spending Review 2025 announced a £2.3 billion real-terms increase (£4 billion cash increase) in the Department of Health and Social Care's annual capital budget between 2023/24 and 2029/30 to support investment in the NHS, including new technology, hospitals and primary care. The government said this would deliver "the largest ever health capital budget", representing a more than 20% real-terms increase by the end of the Spending Review period. This funding settlement underpins the capital plan's projection that NHS capital spending will rise to £14.6 billion (around £15 billion) a year by 2029/30. See more: Spending Review 2025 (HTML) - GOV.UK
3. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients.  
4. For more information, please contact the press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6060; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.