Fylde MP Mark Menzies has welcomed an additional £2,785,000 for Blackpool Victoria Hospital to support A&E capacity ahead of the winter months.
The extra £2.785m means that the Trust will be able to increase its A&E capacity, put enhanced infection prevention and control measures in place and make improvements to emergency care and urgent treatment services.
Across England, the Government is providing £300 million to A&E departments, with work to be completed by the start of next year so hospitals can benefit from the upgrades during the peak of winter.
In June, the Prime Minister announced plans to accelerate £5 billion of infrastructure spending as part of his New Deal for Britain – an ambitious economic strategy to rebuild Britain by putting jobs, skills and infrastructure investment at the heart of the Government’s plans. This funding forms part of the New Deal, which allocated a total of £1.5 billion this year for hospital maintenance, hospital building and A&E expansion.
The funding also comes on top of the additional £3 billion that the Prime Minister recently announced to help prepare the NHS for the winter months ahead. This funding will allow the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector through the coronavirus pandemic, and also to maintain the Nightingale hospitals until the end of March next year.
Fylde MP Mark Menzies said: “Staff at The Vic, Clifton Hospital and across the Trust have worked bravely and tirelessly, especially through the pandemic months. I thank them for everything they have done for each and every one of us. Saving lives and preventing the spread of the disease are vital and they have all been nothing short of heroic.
I understand this funding has been put in place with hospital bosses to make sure our hospitals get everything they need to upgrade A&E across the Trust to ensure that we are in the best possible position for the challenges that the winter months may bring.
“We have delivered record investment in our NHS, we've given an undertaking not to use Labour's PFI borrowings, and we will not put the NHS on the table in any trade deals.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We continue to deliver on our promise to build back better and faster, with £300 million allocated today for NHS trusts to upgrade their facilities and improve A&E capacity.
“These upgrades will help our fantastic NHS prepare for the winter months, helping them to deliver essential services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.
“Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of NHS staff throughout the pandemic, our A&Es have remained open for the public.
“It’s vital that those who need emergency treatment this winter access it, and for those who remain concerned about visiting hospitals, let me assure you that the NHS has measures in place to keep people safe.”