The Secretary of State has written to me advising that the Government has allocated £1.6 million to the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust as part of a scheme to help deliver improvements to A & E services this winter. With the cold weather approaching this extra investment will be welcome.
Dear John,
Improved emergency care, new beds, and enhanced equipment as part of major funding boost for hospitals ahead of winter
To make sure the NHS performs as well as it possibly can this winter we are funding hospitals to deliver improvements in their A&E performance.
A total of 81 new schemes, totalling £145 million of capital investment, have been prioritised from within the Department’s capital budget for hospitals across the country to help staff prepare ahead of winter.
This funding will enable the NHS to deliver additional beds, redevelop A&E units and upgrade wards, enhance bed management systems, and improve ‘same-day’ emergency care.
I am delighted to inform you that your local NHS trust will benefit from this funding as part of the action the Government is taking in advance of winter.
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has identified a scheme that can help with its bed capacity, and has been allocated £1.6m.
Last winter was challenging, but thanks to the efforts and dedication of hard working frontline staff, over 500 more people were seen in A&E and admitted or discharged within four hours every day. This further investment in the NHS will help those staff to deliver the best possible care for patients this winter.
Yours ever,
MATT HANCOCK