The seven RAAC hospitals each has a replacement cost estimated at between £500 million and £1.5 billion.57 NHP intends to build all seven RAAC replacement hospitals by 2030 using its standard Hospital 2.0 design. DHSC and NHS England are prioritising NHP schemes above other kinds of capital investment and recognise that they must replace the RAAC hospitals as quickly as possible.58 They told us it would be a challenge to complete them by 2030 because of the size of the schemes and the fact that only some of them have previously developed plans.59 Hospitals with extensive structural problems due to RAAC, even with mitigations, might be at risk of closure right up until the day they are replaced.60 49 DHSC, Transparency data: Hospitals with RAAC in England, 19 October 2023; accessed at www.gov.uk/ government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-in-hospitals-management-information 50 Qq 5–6 51 Q 28 52 NHP0007 53 Q 1 54 Q 8 55 Qq 16–20 56 Q 22; Letter from Shona Dunn, DHSC dated 26 September 2023 57 C&AG’s Report, Figures 17 and 18 58 Qq 13, 25 59 Qq 1, 14–15, 25 60 Qq 24, 111 16 The New Hospital Programme Transparency of the scheme selection process