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The dire state of UK government buildings has reached a critical point, with public services facing significant disruption due to deteriorating infrastructure, according to a stark warning from the National Audit Office (NAO) this week.
The spending watchdog’s report reveals an astronomical maintenance backlog of £49 billion across government departments, severely impacting service delivery, workforce productivity, and public safety. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the public accounts committee, expressed grave concerns about the prolonged neglect of schools, hospitals, and prisons, emphasising the mounting safety risks for staff and service users.
Recent incidents highlight the severity of the situation. Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport experienced a partial roof collapse in March 2024, necessitating patient evacuations and procedure cancellations. Birmingham’s Victoria Law Courts suffered a fire alarm system failure, resulting in the loss of 4,176 courtroom days between May 2022 and January 2024.
The Ministry of Defence, NHS, and schools account for 88% of the total maintenance backlog, with each sector facing staggering repair bills. The MoD tops the list at £15.3 billion, while schools and the NHS each face £13.8 billion in necessary repairs.
The situation has steadily worsened, with the Office of Government Property reporting an increase from £14.8 billion in January 2019. Historic under-investment, rising costs, and pandemic-related income losses have exacerbated the problem. NHS England’s maintenance backlog alone has grown by an average of 11% annually between 2014-15 and 2023-24.
The OGP suggests the actual repair costs could be “substantially higher” than the NAO’s estimate, citing incomplete data and inconsistent surveying practices across departments. This data disparity hampers strategic funding allocation and prevents effective prioritisation of maintenance projects.
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