The government has announced over £1.5 billion for more than 950 projects that will make NHS hospitals safer, more resilient and better equipped to care for patients.

Over £200 million will fund 10 major hospital projects, while over £1.3 billion will go towards maintenance, safety and resilience improvements.

The investment will fund improvements including new operating theatres, a new ward for children and safer maternity and mental health facilities.

The funding will also be used to support wider efforts to improve patient flow through hospitals, complementing ongoing work with community and social care services to help patients receive the right care in the right place and leave hospital safely.

Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: "For decades, hospitals have focused on preparing for winter pressures, but the NHS is now facing new challenges, including periods of extreme heat and sustained pressure on services throughout the year.

"That’s why we are investing more than £1.5 billion to make our NHS hospitals safer and more resilient, helping them remain open and able to care for patients when pressure on services is greatest.

"This includes investment in cooling and ventilation systems to help hospitals adapt to more frequent periods of extreme heat, alongside hundreds of projects to tackle urgent safety and infrastructure risks across the NHS estate.

"This is just the start. Through our 10 Year Capital Plan, we will continue investing in the NHS buildings and facilities staff and patients need, helping build a health service that is fit for the future."

£26 million will provide a new pathology building at Stepping Hill Hospital to protect the testing services doctors rely on to diagnose patients and provide urgent care.

£41 million will provide improvements to operating theatres at Bristol Royal Infirmary to make the facilities safer and more reliable for patients needing surgery.

Sir Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of the NHS Alliance, said: "We welcome this investment. The summer heatwaves showed up the poor condition of many NHS buildings which are dilapidated and poorly designed to cope with hot weather.

"This funding will help both staff and patient wellbeing. All efforts to improve productivity are a good thing though the context is that the NHS continues to face a sizeable maintenance backlog, including a number of issues that require prompt action to address."