The free to download document was informed by research findings which revealed: 

• 84% of NHS leaders struggled to access funding due to lack of understanding or challenges with the application process  

• 54% had a lack confidence in combining multiple sources of capital  

• 49% were unsuccessful in securing funding up to £10 million  

NHS Property Services has launched its brand new guide to 'NHS Estate Funding’ at the NHS Property 2024 estates conference, attended by estates, strategy and health leaders from across the country.    

Lord Darzi’s recent confirmation of a £37bn shortfall in NHS capital investment and the subsequent Budget announcement of a £1.57bn capital investment allocation over the next financial year, indicate that estate funding is firmly on the agenda for NHS leaders.  

Research, conducted by NHSPS in partnership with the HSJ earlier this year, showed that aged estate and growing resource pressures continue to provide significant challenge to NHS leaders trying to fund improvements and deliver the right infrastructure strategies. 

In response, the NHSPS Guide provides a succinct, easy to navigate overview of estates funding routes and the associated application processes, plus an outline of the expected timings and key skills needed to successfully secure funding.  

It also includes practical insights showing NHS leaders how to get the most from each funding source, and a quick reference checklist to help estates, finance and strategy leads decide which funding option is appropriate for them. 

Karina Dare, Primary Care Estates Strategy Lead for NHSPS explained: “NHS leaders have consistently told us that capital funding is the biggest challenge they face, so it’s never been a more relevant time for us to share our insight, and to launch our Guide to NHS Estate Funding and Survey Report, as part of the solution.   

“From releasing additional capital to deepening their understanding of the numerous funding processes, our new Guide is designed to explain how to make the most of the capital and revenue resources available to them. It illustrates the role we can play as their strategic estates partner, helping them challenge the shortfall so that NHS patients and colleagues are able to both access and deliver high quality services in buildings that are fit for purpose both now and in the future.”  

Kieran Kinsella, Executive Director of Advisory Services, added: “We know from the results of our recent funding survey, conducted in partnership with the Health Service Journal, that our NHS colleagues face ongoing challenges when it comes to funding the estate of the future.  

“Our in-house experts at NHSPS have helped shape our new Guide and we are confident that their knowledge and expertise will help estates leaders to overcome some of the barriers they have highlighted, enabling them and their teams to understand and access the various funding options available to them.”  

The ‘Guide to Estate Funding’ is available to download here, and a full copy of the Survey Report is also available online.