Fylde residents look set to benefit from a new Royal Preston Hospital after the Government announced the largest hospital building programme in a generation.
The Health Infrastructure Plan is a five-year rolling programme of investment in NHS infrastructure – and 40 hospitals will be built.
In the first round of funding, Royal Preston Hospital has been given seed funding to progress plans for a new hospital.
Fylde MP Mark Menzies said: “This investment is over and above the £33.9 billion increase per year settlement the Government has announced for the NHS, and the £6.2 billion increase in the last 12 months.
“It can only be good news to have a redeveloped Royal Preston Hospital with state-of-the art new equipment.
“Our NHS staff need the best possible working environment – and that is great news for patients as well.
“I look forward to seeing the plans for the new hospital progress, and will do everything I can to support the development of a world-class facility.”
Some 40 hospitals will be built with the cash, including six brand new facilities and 34 major replacement projects now in the pipeline.
The funding is in addition to the £1.8 billion announced in new capital funding in August, £850 million for 20 hospital upgrades and £1 billion to tackle critical infrastructure backlog across the country and emergency capital funding requests.
The new budget settlement – not including the capital project funds – represent a 3.4 per cent increase in funding; Labour’s manifesto pledge would reduce that funding to 2.2 per cent.