Three hospitals to be bolstered by seed funding
Royal Preston, North Manchester General, and Royal Lancaster Infirmary & Furness General are to receive a share of £100m along with 19 other UK hospitals as part of the Government’s health infrastructure plan.
These 22 schemes are to use the funding to develop their business cases, with the aim of delivering developments between 2025 and 2030 subject to approval.
The seed funding was announced alongside the news that six NHS trusts would be granted £2.7bn to develop new hospitals by 2025, although none were based in the North West.
According to the health and social care secretary Matt Hancock, this six are the first in the creation of an additional 34 hospitals to be funded by taxpayer money, although when asked he could not give accurate information regarding the funding sources or timeline of the other 34.
On the overall plan, Hancock said “the new strategic approach will ensure the health service will have world-class facilities for patients and staff for the long term.
“It sets out a long-term programme of investment in health infrastructure including capital to build new hospitals, modernise our primary care estate, invest in new diagnostics and technology, and help eradicate critical safety issues in the NHS estate.”
This investment goes alongside the £33.9bn a year by 2023 that the Government has promised to the NHS. It also follows the Government’s commitment of £1.8bn in capital funding for 20 hospital upgrades and other infrastructure works for the NHS, although the news announced last month was greeted with cynicism from members of the medical profession who suggested it was “too little too late”.
