It comes following a pre-election pledge to build 48 new hospitals by 2030.
The Government has been accused of misleading the public over new hospitals.
New hospital wings, a refurbishment of an existing site or a new clinical building on an existing site should always be referred to as a “new hospital”, according to a communications playbook published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
It comes following a pre-election pledge by Boris Johnson to build 48 new hospitals by 2030.
The document sent to trusts earlier this month is titled the New Hospital Programme Communications Playbook and sets out the definitions of a “new hospital” and demands that if any construction project meets the criteria it “must always be referred to as a new hospital”.
It explains; “A whole new hospital site on a new site or current NHS land, either a single service of consolidation of services on a new site; A major new clinical building on an existing site or a new wing of an existing hospital, provided it contains a whole clinical service, such as maternity or children’s services; or a major refurbishment and alteration of all but building frame or main structure, delivering a significant extension to useful life which includes major or visible changes to the external structure.”
Build 48 hospitals.
The guidance adds that when trusts are talking about the building programme, they must use the government’s line about 48 new hospitals.
Responding to concerns about the playbook a DHSC spokesperson explained: “We have committed to build 48 hospitals by 2030, backed by an initial £3.7bn.
“Each of the hospital building projects will be new hospitals delivering brand new, state-of-the-art facilities to ensure world-class provision of healthcare for NHS patients and staff by replacing outdated infrastructure.”
Labour has called the move “more mistruths, lies and spin”.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Sajid Javid was caught out dishonestly calling a cancer centre a new hospital last week, now he’s instructing NHS staff to call all refurbished wings and buildings ‘new hospitals’
“It’s dishonest spin and the Health Secretary shouldn’t be taking patients for fools. Ministers need to get on and deliver improved patient care instead of serving up more mistruths, lies and spin.”
