The infrastructure scheme will be one of the largest capital programmes in NHS history, Jeremy Hunt says

The NHS has been promised a new hospital every year in the biggest infrastructure expansion for a decade.

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, who is pushing the prime minister for a ten-year NHS funding plan, said he wanted to “expand capacity for the future” with a host of new buildings.

A £3.5 billion capital fund promised by Philip Hammond, the chancellor, in last year’s budget would allow a major project equivalent to a new hospital each year for the next five years, he said.

Shrewsbury and Telford will receive £300 million this year to turn two hospitals into one “hot” emergency care hospital and one “cold” hospital for scheduled treatments and operations.

It will be one of 40 modernisation projects to share £760 million this