Senior councillors are set to call on the government to approve a £1.4bn plan for new hospital facilities in the city.
Leeds City Council has warned that delays to the scheme are a risk to patient care and the regional economy.
A new children’s hospital, an adult hospital and maternity centre are planned for Leeds General Infirmary (LGI). It is among NHS building projects placed under review by the government as part of national cost-saving plans.
The council is expected to call for the project to be approved and sped up when its executive board meets on Wednesday 16 October.
A report to the meeting said: “LGI is a critically important facility for the people of Leeds and the wider region but is in serious need of updating with respect to buildings and equipment.
“This report reconfirms support for new hospitals from all partners in Leeds and calls upon the government to approve and accelerate this much needed health and economic investment for the city and wider region.”
Delays have already added around £300m to the cost of the scheme, with the total estimated at more than £1.4bn, the report said.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) previously said the scheme, part of the national New Hospital Programme (NHP), would be fully funded. But planned NHP schemes were put under review by Rachel Reeves, the chancellor and MP for Leeds West and Pudsey.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals previously has warned that parts of its buildings have leaking roofs, crumbling walls and damp. The trust is facing a maintenance backlog of around £630m as it meets the cost of keeping the ageing buildings open.
The report said: “Finite resources are being wasted on operationally sustaining an ageing estate, with increased risk to the continued delivery of specialist clinical services serving Leeds and the West Yorkshire region.”
Approval of the hospital project would also free-up land earmarked for redevelopment as part of an “Innovation Village” for the city.
It is hoped the wider project would deliver 4,000 jobs, up to 1,000 homes and and £13bn in economic benefits. The report said the hospital scheme would deliver value for money, bringing in £12 for every £1 spent.
It said: “The impact on Leeds residents is also significant.
“Citizen health will benefit from a transition to new state-of-the-art buildings and equipment and enable better integration with the wider health and care system.”
