- Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has confirmed 117 trusts will be allocated share of £300m to upgrade A&E facilities
- New funding will help the NHS prepare for winter and the risk of further outbreaks of coronavirus
- Johnson reassured people A&Es are safe to visit and urged anyone in need of emergency treatment to access it
Upgrades to hospital infrastructure comes as Johnson committed to ‘building back better and faster’
NHS trusts across the country have today been allocated a share of a £300m moneypot to upgrade facilities ahead of winter.
In an announcement this week, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also urged the public to feel confident to visit A&E departments for treatment, reassuring those who remain concerned that strict social distancing and hygiene measures are in place to protect patients from the risk of contracting coronavirus.
He said hospitals could use the new funding to expand waiting areas and increase the number of treatment cubicles, helping them boost A&E capacity by providing additional space, reducing overcrowding, and improving infection control measures.
They can also increase the provision of same-day emergency care and improve patient flow in order to help the NHS respond to winter pressures and the risk of further outbreaks of coronavirus.
Projects will be completed by the start of next year so hospitals benefit from the upgrades during the peak of winter.
Last year Johnson also confirmed that 20 hospitals will receive a share of £850m to upgrade outdated facilities and equipment.
This comes after the Government committed to investing in world-class infrastructure and ‘building back better and faster’ to help support the economic recovery and jobs.
These upgrades will help our fantastic NHS prepare for the winter months, helping them to deliver essential services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections
Johnson said: “We continue to deliver on our promise to build back better and faster, with £300m allocated today for NHS trusts to upgrade their facilities and improve A&E capacity.
“These upgrades will help our fantastic NHS prepare for the winter months, helping them to deliver essential services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.
“Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of NHS staff throughout the pandemic, our A&Es have remained open for the public.
“And it’s vital that those who need emergency treatment this winter access it, and for those who remain concerned about visiting hospitals, let me assure you that the NHS has measures in place to keep people safe.”
Health Minister, Edward Argar, added: “Our NHS did an amazing job to ensure emergency care continued to be available for everyone who needed it during the peak of this pandemic.
This funding is part of our record investment in NHS infrastructure to ensure our health services continue to meet the needs of the present and are fit for the future demands placed upon it
“Today, we are announcing the details of the trusts across the country who will receive a share of £300m to upgrade their A&Es and support emergency care to help them to continue to deliver safe and accessible services throughout the normally-busy winter period.
“This funding is part of our record investment in NHS infrastructure to ensure our health services continue to meet the needs of the present and are fit for the future demands placed upon it.
Trusts in the Midlands and North East and Yorkshire regions will both share moneypots of over £50m, while the North West and South East areas will both get more than £44m.
And South West NHS trusts will share more than £27m, while London will receive nearly £50m.
Hospitals in the East of England have been given more than £28m.
Last month, the PM confirmed an additional £3billion of funding to the NHS in England to get ready for winter.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also receive additional funds.
The cash will enable the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector, maintain the Nightingale hospitals until the end of March 2021, and expand the flu vaccination programme.
