The New Hospital Programme (NHP) has reached two major milestones in its mission to deliver the hospitals of the future, formally launching the NHP Academy and securing National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC) accreditation in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
This month NHP brought together key stakeholders from across the NHS and industry to explore what the New Hospital Programme means for patients, staff and the health service more widely. The event showcased how cutting-edge technology will shape the design, delivery and operation of the next generation of hospitals, setting a strong foundation for innovation across the programme.
The event also marked the official launch of the NHP Academy – a central pillar in NHP’s long-term commitment to building capability, strengthening delivery expertise and leaving a legacy of skills across the health and construction sectors.
Designed to support NHS Trusts, the wider NHS workforce and the programme’s supply chain, the Academy will equip teams with the capability needed to deliver complex, transformational infrastructure. It will also create enduring social and economic value by opening pathways for career development, employment and pre-employment opportunities for years to come.
Partnership
In a significant step forward, NHP has partnered with CITB to achieve NSAfC accreditation, reinforcing its commitment to raising industry standards and supporting sustainable growth across the sector. This collaboration will help close critical skills gaps, boost supply chain capacity and provide consistent opportunities for high-quality training nationwide.
Emma Whigham, Hospital 2.0 Alliance Director, NHP, says: “NHP offers a significant opportunity to the supply chain with a huge 15-year pipeline of work. Therefore, now is the optimal time for businesses to increase capacity and capability within their organisations by investing in their workforce. Through working collaboratively with the CITB to develop plans and facilitate the provision of high-quality employment and training opportunities to address current and future skills gaps, the NHP Alliance will support key sectors to build supply chain capacity, resilience and drive growth.”
Gemma Davies, Workforce and Capability Director, NHP, says: “By working together with our Hospital 2.0 Alliance Partners and the CITB and applying the NSAfC framework to our Wave 1 schemes, we aim to ensure the programme develops and delivers the highly skilled, inclusive workforce that is required to build hospitals now and for the future. Our partnership with the CITB will help us to get the right skills on site to the right people at the right time, wherever they are needed to support NHP. This includes everyone – from trades people, to those with technical skills and professionals – as well as both new recruits and experienced workers.”
With the NHP Academy now launched the programme continues to build the foundations for a modern, skilled workforce capable of delivering world-class hospitals for the future.
Waves of Delivery
The NHP is structured into four main delivery waves:
• Wave 0: Schemes already in construction
• Wave 1: Construction planned between 2025–2030 (including RAAC hospitals)
• Wave 2: Construction begins 2030–2035
• Wave 3: Construction begins 2035–2039
This approach aims to provide stability, support market capacity and enable continuous improvement across projects.
