Boris Johnson’s election pledge to build 40 new hospitals - including one in Norfolk - by 2030 is facing a review by the government’s spending watchdog.

The National Audit Office (NAO) is planning a “value for money review” which could consider the impact of spiralling inflation on costs and whether the hospitals will actually be new.

The government announced two years ago that the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston would get money to build a new hospital as part of a £3.7bn investment.

Construction of the current hospital began in 1976 and was completed in 1981.

Earlier this year, three possible designs for a new James Paget Hospital were revealed.

But it has emerged an investigation is pending over the promises the prime minister made during his 2019 election campaign.

The investigation emerged in a letter from NAO comptroller Gareth Davies to Labour's shadow health secretary Wes Streeting.

In the letter, reported by the Observer, Mr Davies responded to Mr Streeting's concerns over delays in getting funding allocated and whether the schemes were really new hospitals.

Mr Davies said: “I can confirm that I already have plans to start a value for money review of the New Hospitals Programme later this year and to report my findings during 2023.

“In particular, I note your comments about the implications of delay for increasing costs at this time of high inflation and the matter of whether all projects truly meet the classification of ‘new hospitals’.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said: “We are on track to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030.

“We are working closely with the NHS and trusts on the development of their building plans. Each of the building projects will be new hospitals providing brand new, state-of-the-art facilities to ensure world-class provision of healthcare for NHS patients and staff by replacing outdated infrastructure.”

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn - which is having to use 1,500 steel and timber supports to hold up its roof - was not named among the initial 40 new hospitals.

It is waiting to find out whether it will be selected for a re-build, as one of eight further projects.