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NHS maintenance backlog by trust (2024/25)

Published 9 August 2026Last updated 9 August 2026

The NHS maintenance backlog reached £15.91bn in 2024/25 £625/m² of occupied floor space. That national figure hides an enormous spread. This is PM Assist's own analysis of the NHS Estates Returns Information Collection, normalising every trust's backlog against the floor area it actually maintains, and ranking all 201 trusts with a substantial estate.

The headline figure

£625/m²

The NHS maintenance backlog works out at £625/m² of occupied floor space.

Dividing the £15.91 billion total backlog reported in ERIC 2024/25 by the 25.4 million m² of occupied floor area across 207 trusts gives £625/m². The median trust sits lower, at £431/m², so the national average is pulled up by a minority of badly affected estates.

How this was calculated: Sum of high, significant, moderate and low risk backlog across all trusts, divided by the sum of occupied floor area. · Link to this figure

Citing this analysis?

PM Assist, "NHS Maintenance Backlog by Trust: 2024/25 Analysis", analysis of NHS England, Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) 2024/25, 2026. https://pmassist.co.uk/nhs-maintenance-backlog-by-trust

What the 2024/25 data shows

Every figure below is derived from the ERIC trust-level return. Each states the calculation behind it, and has its own anchor link if you want to cite it directly.

11x

The most burdened NHS estates carry 11 times the maintenance backlog per square metre of the least burdened.

At the 90th percentile a trust carries £1,240/m²; at the 10th, £116/m². Airedale NHS Foundation Trust tops the table at £4,457/m². The national conversation treats the backlog as a single number, but at trust level it is a distribution with an order-of-magnitude spread.

How this was calculated: Percentiles across the 201 ranked trusts. Trusts below 10,000 m² of occupied floor area, and the 4 reporting zero backlog against a substantial estate, are excluded from the ranking but remain in the national totals.

28.4%

The 20 most heavily burdened trusts hold 28.4% of the national maintenance backlog on 9% of the floor area.

The 20 trusts with the highest backlog per square metre account for £4.51 billion of the £15.91 billion national total. The backlog is a concentrated problem, not an evenly spread one: fixing the worst twenty estates would clear more than a quarter of it.

How this was calculated: Trusts ranked by backlog per m²; the top 20 rows summed and expressed as a share of the national total.

57.2%

57.2% of the backlog — £9.09 billion — is classed as high or significant risk.

ERIC bands backlog by the risk the defect poses. High and significant risk work is the tranche where failure carries a real prospect of harm or service disruption. 95 trusts have more than half of their backlog in these two bands.

How this was calculated: High + significant risk backlog summed across all trusts, as a share of total backlog.

£1,010/m²

London carries the heaviest maintenance backlog per square metre of any NHS region.

London averages £1,010/m² against £404/m² in North West — a 2.5x gap between the most and least burdened regions.

How this was calculated: Trust backlog and floor area summed within each region, then divided.

No clear effect

Estate age makes little difference to backlog per square metre.

Across 40 trusts where 25% or more of the floor area predates 1965, the median backlog is £447/m², against £431/m² across the 161 newer estates.

How this was calculated: Pre-1965 share is the sum of the ERIC age-profile bands up to 1964. Medians are used rather than means because both groups contain outliers.

Every NHS trust ranked by backlog per m²

All 201 trusts reporting at least 10,000 m² of occupied floor area in ERIC 2024/25, ranked by total backlog divided by that floor area.

NHS trusts ranked by maintenance backlog per square metre of occupied floor area, ERIC 2024/25
#TrustRegionBacklogFloor areaBacklog per m²High/significant risk
1Airedale NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£319m71,565 m²£4,45793.7%
2Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondon£902m283,605 m²£3,18096.4%
3London North West University Healthcare NHS TrustLondon£463m198,177 m²£2,33740.6%
4Whittington Health NHS TrustLondon£185m84,800 m²£2,17782.4%
5Croydon Health Services NHS TrustLondon£184m89,054 m²£2,06897.2%
6The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£128m66,794 m²£1,91382.7%
7James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£119m62,440 m²£1,90686.7%
8Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustLondon£132m69,412 m²£1,90182.6%
9South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondon£173m93,721 m²£1,84628%
10The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLondon£146m82,896 m²£1,76591.2%
11Bradford District Care NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£60m34,378 m²£1,74026.8%
12West Suffolk NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£111m64,494 m²£1,72677.8%
13Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS TrustLondon£142m83,159 m²£1,70976.5%
14Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS TrustSouth East£259m178,472 m²£1,45487.6%
15South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£59m42,099 m²£1,40573.1%
16Bolton NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£129m92,088 m²£1,40120.4%
17Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£161m115,858 m²£1,39058.7%
18East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£240m180,953 m²£1,32665.4%
19Nottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustMidlands£443m338,744 m²£1,30838.2%
20North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£155m118,779 m²£1,30743.4%
21Barts Health NHS TrustLondon£523m421,665 m²£1,24070.6%
22Sheffield Childrens NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£68m56,065 m²£1,21612.7%
23University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLondon£253m212,704 m²£1,19071.1%
24Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£170m142,941 m²£1,18966%
25East Sussex Healthcare NHS TrustSouth East£171m145,153 m²£1,17651.8%
26Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£46m40,101 m²£1,15040.3%
27Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustLondon£532m471,597 m²£1,12861.6%
28The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£112m99,503 m²£1,12144.8%
29Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£93m83,738 m²£1,11542.2%
30West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustEast of England£162m148,668 m²£1,09033.8%
31The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS TrustEast of England£65m61,677 m²£1,05361.7%
32Medway NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£108m102,547 m²£1,05150%
33University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£441m440,007 m²£1,00165.7%
34Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£151m151,398 m²£1,00079.2%
35Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£238m243,929 m²£97656.5%
36Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS TrustSouth East£96m100,469 m²£95644%
37Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£57m59,330 m²£95366%
38Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS TrustMidlands£187m204,801 m²£91514.3%
39Somerset NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£185m204,563 m²£90335.3%
40Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS TrustMidlands£58m64,716 m²£90371%
41Salisbury NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£82m92,810 m²£8839.8%
42Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£265m306,209 m²£86659.9%
43University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£165m192,190 m²£85838.9%
44The Walton Centre NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£22m27,240 m²£82534.1%
45Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£115m139,714 m²£82313.4%
46Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£111m136,141 m²£81953.5%
47Gateshead Health NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£74m93,000 m²£79527.2%
48Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£72m91,435 m²£79061.5%
49Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£21m27,007 m²£78963.2%
50United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustMidlands£126m163,927 m²£76938.3%
51St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLondon£106m142,464 m²£74374.4%
52Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£110m150,328 m²£73455.6%
53Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£52m73,724 m²£70465.3%
54Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£168m240,867 m²£69830.2%
55Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS TrustEast of England£30m43,576 m²£69121.8%
56York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£115m170,448 m²£67271.3%
57Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£75m113,242 m²£66245.1%
58South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£56m86,200 m²£65462.2%
59Stockport NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£68m104,265 m²£65166.1%
60Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLondon£35m53,284 m²£64996.3%
61Humber Teaching NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£30m46,790 m²£64721.9%
62Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£54m83,729 m²£64351.4%
63Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS TrustLondon£34m53,476 m²£64249.4%
64Royal Free London NHS Foundation TrustLondon£152m238,904 m²£63586.2%
65The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£182m294,937 m²£61855.9%
66Frimley Health NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£105m171,058 m²£61352%
67Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£61m99,736 m²£60872.7%
68Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£254m429,104 m²£59254.3%
69North West Ambulance Service NHS TrustNorth West£36m62,069 m²£57421.6%
70Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£64m111,757 m²£57438.7%
71Kent Community Health NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£29m50,148 m²£57335.3%
72East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£122m215,900 m²£56742.9%
73Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£50m89,667 m²£55553.9%
74Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS TrustMidlands£72m131,145 m²£54854.5%
75Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£180m328,495 m²£54833.6%
76University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£121m223,148 m²£54154.9%
77Harrogate and District NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£33m62,392 m²£53550.4%
78University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£186m359,520 m²£51858.6%
79Isle of Wight NHS TrustSouth East£32m60,998 m²£51871.4%
80Manchester University NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£278m537,714 m²£51748.2%
81Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£61m119,584 m²£51154.3%
82Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£26m52,763 m²£49922.3%
83Hertfordshire Community NHS TrustEast of England£11m21,485 m²£49735.3%
84Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£66m132,677 m²£49755.3%
85Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£93m187,183 m²£49554.9%
86Oxleas NHS Foundation TrustLondon£34m69,686 m²£489100%
87South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£96m195,825 m²£48844.8%
88Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£19m39,939 m²£48661.1%
89Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£83m173,114 m²£47966.7%
90Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS TrustSouth West£55m115,328 m²£47933.8%
91Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£45m94,226 m²£47456.4%
92Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£34m72,295 m²£47081%
93University Hospitals Plymouth NHS TrustSouth West£84m180,454 m²£46652%
94East and North Hertfordshire NHS TrustEast of England£56m120,647 m²£46478.7%
95The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation TrustLondon£43m92,452 m²£46223%
96Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS TrustMidlands£55m123,212 m²£45073.4%
97Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS TrustMidlands£35m77,804 m²£44932.8%
98Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£24m53,328 m²£44446.5%
99North West Anglia NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£70m161,862 m²£43542.9%
100The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS TrustLondon£66m152,269 m²£43223.7%
101University Hospitals of Leicester NHS TrustMidlands£136m315,205 m²£43170.6%
102Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£13m31,062 m²£43159.2%
103Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£48m113,400 m²£42679.9%
104East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS TrustMidlands£17m39,715 m²£42361.4%
105Devon Partnership NHS TrustSouth West£23m54,419 m²£42274%
106Pennine Care NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£30m71,744 m²£41322.3%
107Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£15m37,987 m²£40725.3%
108Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£31m75,914 m²£40337%
109Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£121m303,182 m²£39837.1%
110Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£66m166,976 m²£39778.6%
111University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£66m165,981 m²£39642.5%
112Central and North West London NHS Foundation TrustLondon£45m118,343 m²£38362.3%
113Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£23m59,851 m²£37737.9%
114Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£19m50,043 m²£37542.1%
115Northampton General Hospital NHS TrustMidlands£41m111,131 m²£37243.7%
116Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS TrustLondon£58m155,255 m²£37243.9%
117West London NHS TrustLondon£46m125,754 m²£36232.7%
118Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£67m185,149 m²£36157.7%
119Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£66m187,123 m²£35461.2%
120Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS TrustSouth East£47m133,097 m²£35056.6%
121East Cheshire NHS TrustNorth West£17m48,841 m²£34849.8%
122Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£44m126,420 m²£34679.9%
123Walsall Healthcare NHS TrustMidlands£33m96,513 m²£34227.8%
124The Royal Wolverhampton NHS TrustMidlands£65m191,871 m²£34163.8%
125East London NHS Foundation TrustLondon£35m101,469 m²£34052%
126Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£27m82,576 m²£32830.7%
127Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£70m217,702 m²£32346.1%
128Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£23m72,369 m²£32266.5%
129North London NHS Foundation TrustLondon£24m76,854 m²£31752.5%
130University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£43m136,574 m²£31363.8%
131Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS TrustEast of England£10m31,312 m²£30959.1%
132Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£10m32,556 m²£29658.2%
133George Eliot Hospital NHS TrustMidlands£18m60,232 m²£29136.5%
134North Middlesex University Hospital NHS TrustLondon£24m83,303 m²£28952.4%
135South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£16m55,436 m²£28351.3%
136Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£29m103,631 m²£28250.7%
137County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£44m158,141 m²£27835.9%
138University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£83m298,509 m²£27731.3%
139Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£7m25,453 m²£27731.4%
140Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£41m153,210 m²£26824.8%
141Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership TrustSouth East£17m63,415 m²£26716.9%
142Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS TrustSouth West£20m77,163 m²£26324.6%
143King's College Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLondon£71m272,955 m²£26130.6%
144Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£30m117,966 m²£2539.7%
145Sussex Community NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£17m69,758 m²£24936.7%
146Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£21m86,274 m²£24823.7%
147North Bristol NHS TrustSouth West£42m176,394 m²£24164.9%
148University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS TrustMidlands£51m214,872 m²£23829.3%
149Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£16m68,756 m²£23535%
150Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£43m186,128 m²£23046.3%
151Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£14m59,550 m²£22924.4%
152Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£10m44,743 m²£22721.6%
153Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£32m141,380 m²£22769.5%
154The Rotherham NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£19m84,790 m²£22550.1%
155East of England Ambulance Service NHS TrustEast of England£15m68,618 m²£22349.1%
156Leicestershire Partnership NHS TrustMidlands£22m99,369 m²£22164.9%
157East Lancashire Hospitals NHS TrustNorth West£45m202,551 m²£22035.6%
158South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£39m183,210 m²£21540.2%
159Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£65m320,741 m²£20147.9%
160Shropshire Community Health NHS TrustMidlands£6m29,405 m²£20028.6%
161Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£59m297,359 m²£19920.1%
162Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£23m115,866 m²£19852.7%
163London Ambulance Service NHS TrustLondon£15m74,548 m²£19735.6%
164Leeds Community Healthcare NHS TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£5m27,660 m²£19470.4%
165The Christie NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£17m95,247 m²£18324.4%
166Oxford Health NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£15m80,047 m²£18364.9%
167South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£7m43,890 m²£16736.9%
168North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS TrustMidlands£4m23,187 m²£16533.5%
169Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLondon£23m139,289 m²£1639.1%
170Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£11m65,813 m²£16395.3%
171South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS TrustLondon£11m72,186 m²£15749.7%
172Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustNorth West£32m213,941 m²£14834.6%
173Mersey Care NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£22m153,760 m²£14633.1%
174University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS TrustMidlands£25m174,807 m²£14271.6%
175Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£6m42,990 m²£13918.6%
176Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£18m132,429 m²£13593.4%
177Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation TrustLondon£14m105,003 m²£13240.8%
178South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£9m71,880 m²£12342.8%
179Central London Community Healthcare NHS TrustLondon£6m49,651 m²£12137.3%
180Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLondon£6m49,125 m²£12011.3%
181Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£7m60,565 m²£11632.7%
182North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£16m144,796 m²£11246.9%
183Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£8m75,763 m²£10848.3%
184Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£6m57,748 m²£10645.6%
185Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£7m71,734 m²£10447.6%
186Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation TrustSouth West£5m61,342 m²£8129.8%
187Wye Valley NHS TrustMidlands£5m66,641 m²£7642.3%
188Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£6m102,008 m²£6274.2%
189North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£2m33,474 m²£5463.8%
190Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£9m170,829 m²£5246.9%
191Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS TrustSouth East£8m166,884 m²£5023.8%
192Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustSouth East£3m61,334 m²£5047.4%
193Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation TrustNorth East and Yorkshire£3m56,015 m²£4763.9%
194North East London NHS Foundation TrustLondon£5m120,697 m²£4127.1%
195Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustEast of England£5m138,235 m²£3733.6%
196Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£3m77,724 m²£321.6%
197Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£395,54213,447 m²£2972.4%
198Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£3m92,594 m²£2823.1%
199Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS TrustMidlands£548,22319,866 m²£2815%
200Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustNorth West£350,00022,182 m²£168.6%
201West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation TrustMidlands£413,60061,634 m²£70%

Download the full derived dataset

Every trust, with backlog by risk band, occupied floor area, backlog per m² and the risk-weighted share, as JSON. Free to reuse under the Open Government Licence v3.0 — please credit PM Assist for the analysis and NHS England for the source data.

Download JSON

Methodology

The source data is NHS England's Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC), a mandatory annual return from every NHS trust in England. We take the trust-level release and compute the figures on this page from it. We do not adjust, model or estimate any value: every number here is arithmetic on the published return, and the calculation is stated alongside each finding.

  • Backlog is the sum of the four ERIC risk bands — high, significant, moderate and low.
  • Per-m² figures use occupied floor area, the measure ERIC itself uses as the denominator for estate cost metrics.
  • Trusts reporting less than 10,000 m² of occupied floor area are excluded from the ranking. Ambulance and small specialist trusts report areas too small for the ratio to mean anything, though they remain in the national totals.
  • Trusts with an incomplete return — a missing risk band or no floor area — are excluded entirely. 207 trusts had a complete return in 2024/25.
  • No year-on-year comparison is published in this edition.
  • The analysis is a script in our public repository, so the figures can be reproduced from the source CSV.

Source

NHS England, Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) 2024/25 — published 16 October 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NHS maintenance backlog?

Backlog maintenance is the estimated cost of work needed to bring NHS buildings and engineering systems up to an acceptable condition. NHS England collects it annually through the Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC), banded by the risk each defect poses. In 2024/25 it totalled £15.91bn across 207 trusts.

Which NHS trust has the biggest maintenance backlog per square metre?

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, at £4,457 per m² of occupied floor area in ERIC 2024/25. Ranking by floor area rather than by cash total is what separates genuinely under-maintained estates from trusts that are simply large.

Why rank trusts by backlog per square metre instead of total cost?

A large teaching trust will always report a bigger cash backlog than a small district hospital, so the raw total mostly measures estate size. Dividing by occupied floor area shows how heavily maintenance debt actually sits on each estate, and makes trusts of different sizes comparable.

Can I use these figures?

Yes. The underlying data is NHS England's, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The analysis, rankings and derived figures on this page are PM Assist's own — please credit PM Assist and link to this page, and credit NHS England ERIC for the source data. The full derived dataset is available to download.

Behind every backlog figure is a documentation problem

Estates teams can only plan against the condition data they can find. When O&M manuals, condition surveys and commissioning records are scattered across shared drives, deferred work goes unrecorded until it becomes a failure. See the wider UK facilities management statistics, our gateway 2 approval times tracker and all our research, or try searching an O&M manual with AI.