WARRINGTON South MP Faisal Rashid is campaigning for a new, all-purpose hospital in his constituency.
He has written to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock calling for the new facility.
It follows his criticism of the Government’s misleading hospital funding pledges after it emerged that funding was only to be made available to reconfigure six existing hospitals. The Prime Minister had previously claimed he intended to build “40 new hospitals”.
The six hospital projects to be completed are at Whipps Cross Hospital in north-east London; Epsom and St Helier Trust in Surrey; West Hertfordshire Trust; Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust in Harlow, Essex; University Hospitals of Leicester Trust; and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. None of these proposed investments will benefit NHS patients in North-West England.
Parts of the Warrington Hospital site are more than 100 years old and essential maintenance of the building costs around £2 million a year, a huge challenge to run an efficient and effective hospital facility.
As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Healthcare Infrastructure, Faisal has led demands for a new, state of the art hospital to be built in the town.
Warrington’s growing population requires a local hospital facility that can cater to the full spectrum of patients’ needs, including comprehensive A&E services.
Faisal said:“Parts of the Warrington Hospital site in my constituency are more than 100 years old and built to meet the needs of a far smaller population in different times. Just attempting to keep on top of essential maintenance of the building costs around £2 million a year – a huge challenge to run an efficient and effective hospital facility. I am sure that the NHS staff working hard to service these facilities find the Prime Minister’s misleading claims as cynical and unhelpful as I do.
“I have asked the Secretary of State if he has any plans to invest in a new facility in our town. A Government with a long-term plan for the NHS would invest in a new, all-purpose hospital facility in Warrington. Warrington and Halton Hospitals Foundation Trust would need to spend £20M over the next ten years just to keep abreast of necessary and urgent maintenance.
“I will continue to fight for a new, fit for purpose hospital for our town and await the Minister’s response.”
