The Trust has responded to the latest letter from Dr Al Pinkerton MP regarding the new Frimley Park Hospital 

Friday 30 October 2026

Dear Al,

Thank you for your letter dated 21 October 2026 on the planning approach for the new Frimley Park Hospital.

I recognise the concerns you have raised, both in your letter and in our previous discussions, around access, highways and transport in relation to our preferred site. These are fundamental considerations for a development of this scale and will, of course, be subject to detailed technical assessment and appropriate scrutiny as part of the planning process.

Regarding planning, I want to clarify our current position. An outline planning application is not, and never has been, our preferred approach. Based on our assessment to date we do not expect to pursue an outline application and are likely to pursue a hybrid application. We are continuing to work with the Local Planning Authority and continuing to take expert advice from our planning and design consultants before confirming the final form of the application.

Whatever form the application takes, it will be supported by the appropriate evidence and detailed assessments of access, transport and highways, ensuring these issues are properly scrutinised through the planning process.

Given that we speak regularly about the new hospital programme, I would again encourage you to raise questions like these directly with me or members of the programme team here, either by phone or at one of our regular meetings, rather than dealing with them through an exchange of letters. We understand that you may wish to put concerns formally on the record, but I do not think an exchange of letters alone is the best way to discuss the detail of issues such as these, particularly when we are fully aligned on them.

We will, of course, continue to take your views into account alongside advice from our planning and technical teams and our ongoing discussions with relevant local authorities.

Best wishes,

Lance McCarthy
Chief Executive