NHS assets for sale

A government-commissioned report has recommended the NHS release cash by selling off land it no longer needs. Critics warn that a ‘fire sale’ of assets, including trust car parks and staff accommodation, is on its way

What do an air-raid shelter, a cricket pitch and a kitchen garden have in common? The surprising answer is that they are all on a list of nearly 500 NHS-owned sites that have been declared ‘surplus to requirements’ and deemed suitable to be sold off.

Nurses may cast a nostalgic eye over the disused buildings that once housed state-of-the-art services and the grand old houses which were once part of hospitals’ estates. But should they be alarmed about plans to sell off land and buildings?

Arguably, it makes good sense for the NHS to sell land it has no use for. However,