The Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust heard this week that it will be receiving additional government funding to help local Worcestershire hospitals through the peak Winter period and for capital improvements.
The government announced that Worcestershire would be receiving £3.9 million in additional funding as part of the £350 million package of additional winter funding that was announced in the recent budget by the Chancellor. In addition, Health Minister Philip Dunne MP responded to a question I raised in the House of Commons chamber on Tuesday and confirmed that the Trust had won approval for an additional £29 million in funding for building improvements.
Mr Dunne told me: “I am pleased to be able to announce to him today that the Department of Health has concluded its analysis of the outline business case for the £29 million allocated in July and that it has been approved.”
The capital funding will be spent on several projects across the Acute Trust’s hospitals including: improvements to operating theatres and endoscopy services at the Alexandra; a dedicated obstetric theatre and paediatric assessment unit at Worcestershire Royal; and an enclosed bridge link between the main Worcestershire Royal building and Aconbury building which will facilitate much easier patient flow between the buildings.
I am pleased that Worcestershire will be receiving its fair share of additional funding that will be particularly helpful in improving A&E performance throughout the Winter period. I am particularly pleased that the Health Minister was able to confirm before Christmas that the Trust will be receiving the £29 million for building improvements that it had bid for.
Following many meetings and discussions with the Department of Health over several months, Worcestershire MPs and hospital bosses were hopeful - but not certain - that the funding would be forthcoming. Full credit is due to the team at the Trust who clearly pulled together a compelling business case.
