Hospital proximity may be key to house price

A new survey has found that many estate agents believe the value of houses can be linked to the proximity of hospitals.

The study by findaproperty.com established that 39 per cent of professionals in the industry think house prices in an area will rise if a new hospital is constructed there.

Among buyers, 77 per cent thought this was the case, while 76 per cent said the arrival of such a facility would make an area more attractive to live in.

In contrast, 74 per cent of agents said a hospital closure could have a negative effect on local prices.

Content editor for the website Michael O' Flynn said: "People take comfort from knowing that there are good medical facilities on the doorstep, so perhaps it's time that hospitals were added to the traditional list of key selling points - schools, transport links, and green areas."

Those building their own homes may wish to gear their plot search towards finding a location that is near to a hospital or other desirable facilities.

England's hospital services include 1,600 hospitals administered by 290 NHS Trusts, plus 92 foundation hospitals, the NHS website states.