- The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust to receive £4 million to upgrade A&E facilities ahead of winter.
- Part of £1.5 billion announced by the Prime Minister to upgrade hospitals, accelerate hospital building and expand A&E facilities.
Amanda Solloway, the MP for Derby North, has welcomed news that Derby hospitals are set to receive an additional funding in order to support A&E capacity ahead of the winter months.
The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust will receive an extra £4 million so 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.
Commenting, Amanda said:
“Staff at the Royal Derby Hospital and across the Trust have worked so hard over the recent months, and I’d like to thank them for everything they’ve done to keep my constituents in Derby North safe.
This winter is expected to be difficult for the NHS as we deal with coronavirus and the usual pressures we face, so it’s right to plan for the worst. This extra £4 million will make sure the NHS in the best position to take these challenges if they come.
The NHS is one of my top priorities, and when I was elected, I said I would do all I can in Westminster to stand up for our health service. I’m absolutely delighted that the Government is getting on with doing just that.”