Image source, Getty Images

By Catherine Burns and Vicki Loader

BBC News

Building work is yet to start for 33 of the government's 40 promised new hospitals in England, the BBC has found.

Most are still waiting to hear what their final budget will be for the projects with a 2030 deadline. Only two are finished and open.

Ministers aimed to have six ready for 2025 - but none of this group has full planning permission or funding yet.

The government insists it remains committed to meeting the targets.

Health leaders say they need urgent clarity.

The BBC looked at the issue last year and since then there has been little progress.

When the pledge was announced, in 2019, there was some controversy about exactly what counts as a "new hospital".

What's happened to the 40 new hospitals pledge?

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NHS guidance says it can range from an entirely new building on a new site to a major refurbishment or alteration.

By October 2020, the commitment was confirmed, with an initial budget of £3.7bn.