Ahead of winter, Worcestershire Royal Hospital Is one of 25 hospitals to be awarded additional funding for their A&E departments. The local hospital will receive two and a half million pounds in funding to upgrade A&E facilities with the aim of easing the pressure on hospitals in light of a possible second wave of Coronavirus cases as weather gets colder.
The funding will be used to re-locate the Medical Assessment Unit, improve the ambulatory emergency care and Stroke ward, create more capacity for the emergency department expansion and increase same day emergency care. On a national level, funding has been allocated to ensure hospitals have enough space to treat patients, manage patient flow and improve infection control.
I certainly see this as welcome news for my constituents. I know that hospital staff have worked tirelessly over recent months and do a fantastic job of taking care of us. While we’re optimistic for the winter, it’s important that we are prepared for the worst and I’m glad that the Government has allocated funding to our local hospital. Since I was elected as the MP in 2015, I have been campaigning with my fellow Worcestershire MPs and lobbying the Government for Worcestershire to get its fair share of NHS funding and I’m pleased to see the £2.5 million investment going into our A&E service. I’m sure this news is welcomed by all of us in the area, and ensures that we are in the best possible position for the challenges the winter months may bring.
This funding comes in addition to the £3 billion that the Prime Minister recently announced to prepare the NHS for the winter. Health Secretary Matt Hancock adds “we all need to play our part by washing our hands regularly, using a face covering and keeping our distance from those not in our household. We are determined to protect the NHS as we did during the peak.”
