ECA points electrical contractors to updated New Hospital Programme supplier guide

The Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) has pointed members to a newly published version of the New Hospital Programme's Supplier Guide and will run a healthcare sector forum later this year or in early 2027.

ECA said on 7 October that the New Hospital Programme (NHP) had issued the latest version of the guide to help businesses understand how the programme will be delivered and prepare for future opportunities.

For electrical contractors, ECA identified the potential work packages as power and distribution systems, lighting, fire and security systems, digital infrastructure, building controls, energy management, low-carbon technologies and maintenance services.

Karin Smyth MP, Minister of State for Health at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), said in the programme's 2025 to 2026 annual report: "The NHP aims to provide new hospital infrastructure to consistent national standards, supported by clear accountability, strengthened assurance and a focus on value for money for taxpayers."

The programme

According to the annual report, the NHP is investing in 46 hospital schemes across England, with £9.6bn of funding over the current spending review.

The DHSC's plan for implementation said investment will rise to £15bn over each consecutive five-year wave, averaging about £3bn a year from 2030. Wave 1 schemes are to start construction between 2025 and 2030, Wave 2 between 2030 and 2035 and Wave 3 between 2035 and 2039.

The NHP was set up in October 2020 under the previous government's commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030. The DHSC said a key part of its reset approach is offering certainty to the construction industry through a rolling programme, with partners signing up for several hospitals rather than a single scheme.

Hospitals built to Hospital 2.0 principles will use sustainable and modern methods of construction designed for manufacturing assembly to speed up building, the DHSC said.

ECA said the programme has projects planned or underway in the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West.

Construction partners

The first Wave 1 construction partners have already been named. On 30 July 2026 NHS England announced that in the East of England, Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is partnering with Morgan Sindall Construction, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust with Dragados and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust with Kier Construction. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn and James Paget University Hospitals have selected Skanska UK.

NHS England said the Hospital 2.0 Alliance brings together NHS England, NHS trusts and industry partners to work as one team.

Simon Wood, NHS England's Director of Strategy and Transformation in the east, said: "This is a great step forward for all of our hospitals in the first group of the Government's New Hospital Programme."

The DHSC has said the NHP will keep working closely with industry to support construction, develop relationships and secure investment within the supply chain.

The guide and the forum

The NHP describes its Supplier Guide as a document developed to support potential suppliers of all types and sizes interested in joining its future supply chain. Suppliers with questions are directed to the programme team at nhp.suppliers@nhs.net, and the NHP is encouraging businesses to follow its industry bulletin and register for programme updates.

ECA's healthcare forum follows similar member events during 2026 covering data centres, water and waste treatment and residential sectors. In August the association said it was inviting expressions of interest for sector groups covering datacentres, defence, healthcare, housing, off-site manufacturing, retail, the Warm Homes Plan, and water and waste treatment.

ECA, founded in 1901, describes itself as the UK's trade association for the electrotechnical and wider engineering services industry. Members wanting to take part in the healthcare forum should contact businesssupportdl@eca.co.uk, the association said.