Fears for Doncaster’s new Waterfront hospital bid as watchdog to investigate Boris Johnson’s claim of ’40 new hospitals by 2030′

The news comes alongside intense lobbying by politicians and business leaders for a new hospital in Doncaster along the city’s Waterfront.

Detailed plans have been drawn up for a new site which would also include a university campus if ministers give the green light.

The case for a new hospital in Doncaster is strong, as the trust which runs DRI says it spends up to five per cent of its annual budget on maintenance alone and the repairs backlog stands at a whopping £60 million.

The current hospital was built in 1930 with further expansion in the 1960s and is not fit for the 21st century, say bosses.

A number of ministers and health secretaries have been to visit Doncaster Royal Infirmary to see the state of the facilities and heard calls from all of the borough’s MPs in their desire for a new site.

Mr Miliband, on the news that the National Audit Office are to investigate the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto pledge, said this was ‘more of Boris Johnson’s over-promising and under-delivering’.

The NAO say they’re concerned at how the government still maintains that it will build 40 entirely new hospitals, when many will be extensions or refurbishments of existing ones.

“It is deeply worrying that the ‘40 new hospitals’ turns out to be more of Boris Johnson’s over-promising and under-delivering,” Mr Miliband said.

“Doncaster desperately needs a new hospital and I have been repeatedly pressing the government to keep its promises.

“Doncaster can’t afford false promises from the government. The water leaks and subsequent evacuation of women and babies from the Women’s Hospital last year were a warning showing the urgency of our bid.

“We need action and government to finally deliver.”

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We are on track to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030.

“We are working closely with the NHS and trusts on the development of their building plans. Each of the building projects will be new hospitals providing brand new, state-of-the-art facilities to ensure world-class provision of healthcare for NHS patients and staff by replacing outdated infrastructure.”