Amount of NHS land for sale rockets by nearly one-third in a year, figures suggest

More than four times as much property on the market now than in 2015-16, two years ago, claims Labour

140 sites that are currently used for clinical or medical purposes have been identified as surplus by the government (Getty)

The amount of NHS land that has been put up for sale has risen by 31 per cent in the last year, figures show.

Some 400 hectares more land was on the market than there had been a year ago, bringing the total to 1,750 hectares, according to statistics compiled by Labour.

Labour's figures also suggested there was now 320 per cent as much NHS land for sale than in 2015-16, two years ago.

Separately, a total of 140 sites that are currently used for clinical or medical purposes have been identified as surplus by the government, a 20 per cent rise on 2016-17, the party claimed.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, called on the government to provide investment into the NHS instead of relying on the sale of assets.

“Patients who want good local hospital services will be alarmed at this huge rise in the amount of NHS land being put up for sale,” he said.

“Hospitals are struggling to cope with years of cutbacks from the Tories. The answer should be a serious long term government funded investment plan, not selling off the NHS’s family silver.”

He also criticised the government for withholding details of many of the sites that have been put on sale and said “rumours of deals behind closed doors are clearly not good for the long term sustainability for the NHS.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “As part of the long term plan for the NHS we are committed to making taxpayers’ money go further, including getting the best use out of the land and buildings the NHS owns.

“We are helping trusts dispose of surplus land or buildings so that money is saved and spent instead on improving patient care, whilst freeing-up space for much needed new homes, including for NHS staff.”