Jeremy Hunt has accepted the need for “investment in new primary care estate” and revealed the government is examining how to better encourage foundation trusts to sell their unused land.

The health secretary’s comments follow an assessment by national NHS leaders in the NHS Five Year Forward View that the NHS could only make required efficiency improvements if it secures the infrastructure and investment to move rapidly to new care models.

The forward view said some of the upfront investment could be raised by selling surplus NHS land and property.

Mr Hunt said he recognised that currently foundation trusts do not necessarily have an incentive to dispose of land sitting on their balance sheets.

“This is an issue we have to look at… we do have a need for investment in new primary care estate. That is going to be the big direction of travel,” he said.

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