The fate of the “40 new hospitals” hangs in the balance with trusts hoping for a decision on funding by the end of the year.

This week we discuss the impact of the delays to the programme on the day-to-day running of NHS hospitals, and what chiefs must do to persuade the Treasury to allocate enough funding for all the planned projects.

We also take a closer look at the newly-built hospital in Liverpool and how its design is contributing to emergency care problems in the city.