A new report from Wates Group has highlighted the important role that public-private partnerships (PPPs) could play in delivering the Government’s ambitious programme of 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres across England by 2036.
The report, Partnerships for Progress, explores how private sector investment, expertise and delivery capacity could help accelerate the development of new community healthcare facilities, including the Government’s commitment to deliver 120 centres by 2030.
It highlights the potential for a new PPP model to support the programme, drawing on lessons from previous healthcare infrastructure initiatives, particularly the successful NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme.
The report also examines how grouping projects into larger investment packages could help achieve economies of scale, improve value for money and create a more attractive proposition for long-term institutional investors.
Its findings echo many of the recommendations made by the Neighbourhood Health Forum, which has consistently called for greater clarity on the financing and delivery arrangements for the programme.
The Forum's recent work with Bevan Brittan has highlighted the importance of establishing a clear pipeline of projects, developing a workable partnership model and engaging with private investors at an early stage.
With the first 120 Neighbourhood Health Centres due to be delivered by 2030, the timetable remains challenging. The report provides further evidence of the potential for private investment and expertise to help accelerate delivery, while supporting the Government's wider ambition to shift healthcare from hospitals into community settings.
The Association of Infrastructure Investors in Public Private Partnerships (AIIP) has welcomed the growing recognition of the role that PPPs could play in delivering new healthcare infrastructure.
The priority now is to translate this interest into a clear delivery framework, giving investors and construction partners the confidence to commit resources and enabling projects to move forward at pace.
Read the Wates report: Partnerships for Progress