· Government providing allocations of £600 million to upgrade and refurbish hospitals
· South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust to benefit from seven projects – worth £410,000
· Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust to benefit from one project – worth £1.28 million
The Health & Social Care Secretary has announced that hospital staff, patients and visitors in hospitals which are part of the NHS Trusts serving Crawley will benefit from refurbished wards, brand new electrics and upgraded ventilation systems.
The Government has announced allocations of £600 million to tackle critical maintenance work in hospitals across England, including a total of eight projects in the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
The Trusts will receive £1,692,000 to carry out the work, which could include building new or refurbishing buildings to deliver key services, upgrades to electrical infrastructure, improvements to ventilation systems, works to improve fire safety and the replacement of hospital lifts. The work will be completed by March 2021.
The money is part of £1.5 billion announced by the Prime Minister in the summer to level up hospital infrastructure across the NHS. While £600 million will be spent on these critical maintenance upgrades, the remainder will be spent on modernising mental health facilities, expanding A&E capacity and improving infection control ahead of winter.
As last year’s General Election, the Government promised to invest in the NHS to ensure NHS staff have world-class facilities to provide care for patients. Since August last year, the Government has confirmed £850 million to upgrade 20 hospitals and £3.7 billion to help deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030.
Last month’s Spending Review announced a dedicated £1.2 billion for NHS new hospitals in 2021-22. Good progress has also been made on the Government’s pledge of 50,000 more nurses by 2025 – with the latest statistics showing there are already 14,800 more nurses in the NHS than a year ago.
Henry said;
“I’m delighted that the South East Coast Ambulance Service and the Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust will benefit from Government funding to carry out vital maintenance work over the coming months.
“These crucial projects will deliver immediate benefits and provide NHS staff with the facilities they need to provide world-class care to patients, helping our NHS to build back better after the pandemic.”
The Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Matt Hancock, commented;
“Alongside delivering on our manifesto commitment to build 40 new hospitals and 20 major hospital upgrades across the country, this investment will help our NHS build back better.
“These crucial maintenance projects will deliver immediate benefits and provide NHS staff with the facilities they need to provide world-class care to their patients this winter, helping ensure the NHS is always there for you when you need it.”
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