Jim Mackey, the Chief Executive of NHS Improvement has declared that 22,000 new homes are going to be constructed for NHS staff in areas such as London, due to its lack of affordable housing.
During the NHS Confederation Annual Conference in Manchester, Mr Mackey explained that the NHS will be handling the financial problems for many years to come.
When asked how the hospitals would achieve their plans if the workers couldn’t afford to live in such a thriving city such as London, he said:
“Colleagues are working on a plan to try and utilise the NHS estate better to provide more affordable housing for NHS staffâ€.
The lack of affordable housing is a regional concern.  It’s not a problem in the North East for example, but in London and a few other places it is an ongoing issue.
Mr Mackey explains:
“It’s not in the category of being fixed next week or next year but it’s absolutely on the agenda, for another 22,000 units over the next few years,â€
The use of vacant NHS land has been reported on before and recent figures have shown trusts in England have sold land worth more than £250m in 2015 – 2016 and had unused land with a declared market value of £334m.