Local MP, Caroline Dinenage, welcomed the £700 million targeted investment for 785 schemes across 187 hospital trusts to increase capacity and tackle waiting lists.
Hospitals across the country will benefit from a share of £700 million to expand wards, install modular operating theatres, upgrade outpatient spaces and MRI and screening technology, to help reduce waiting lists.
Locally, University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust, Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust, Solent NHS Trust and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust who have received over £8m combined from this fund.
The funding will help reduce waiting times for patients by expanding the number of operating theatres and beds, including new day surgery units to prevent people staying overnight and investment in technology to improve their experiences of care and help them manage their conditions.
Today’s investment is part of the £5.4 billion already announced to support the NHS response to the pandemic in the second half of the year. In total, the government is investing over £34 billion of additional funding in health and social care services this year.
The pandemic put unprecedented pressure on the NHS. To fix this, the NHS needs to be able to offer more appointments, operations and treatments. New, innovative practices must be adopted so patients continue to receive the best possible care.
Commenting, Caroline said:
“I am very pleased to see that our local NHS trusts will receive the funds for vital projects to improve healthcare services for residents across Gosport, Hill Head, Stubbington and Lee-on-the-Solent.
I look forward to seeing the benefits this fund will bring to ensure that patients can get the treatment they need as soon as possible.”
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid said:
“Ahead of what is going to be a difficult winter, we’re putting everything behind our health and care services, so everyone can access the services they need, when they need them.
Our £700 million investment will help more people get treated over the coming months by upgrading wards, operating theatres, and diagnostic kit.
We’re taking unprecedented steps to keep people healthy this winter, putting the booster roll-out on steroids, and delivering the largest flu vaccine programme in UK history.
We can all play our part in the national mission – when you get the call, please get the jab.”
The funding will cover the costs of:
- additional day surgery units to boost activity and avoid patients having to stay overnight or longer
- additional permanent and modular theatres and surgical hubs in multiple trusts to drive up the number of operations which can be carried out
- expanding outpatient space for those not staying overnight, to increase the numbers of patients that can be seen
- upgraded or new imaging equipment, including MRI and mobile breast screening units