REDDITCH MP Rachel Maclean has urged local health bosses to submit their full business case to the Department of Health and Social Care as soon as possible to access the remaining £29.6million capital funding.
The significant cash boost for the Alexandra Hospital and Worcestershire Royal Hospital was announced last summer, and Mrs Maclean has expressed her frustration at the time it is taking for the hospitals to receive the funding.
The first tranche of this capital funding, £3million, was approved back in February and will be used to construct a link bridge between the main Worcestershire Royal and the second floor of the Aconbury East building to improve patient flow and increase bed capacity.
This work is expected to begin this month.
The rest of the cash boost will be spent on upgraded maternity wards, theatres and children’s services at Worcestershire Royal, while the Alex will get improvements to its elective care centre, endoscopy, children’s outpatients and an upgrade in theatres.
Mrs Maclean is now calling on WAHT bosses to submit their full business case to the Department of Health and Social Care as soon as possible so they can draw down the remainder of the £29.6 million.
“As a Redditch resident who uses the Alex, I share everyone’s frustration that our hospital still hasn’t received the funding it was promised last summer.
“I have been lobbying hard on this since I was first elected which played a significant role in getting £3million released early, however we now need to see the rest of the £29.6million.
“After meetings with health ministers and getting in contact with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, it is clear the Government is not holding this process up.
“The money is there ready and waiting to go, the Acute Trust just need to submit their full business case. The ball is in the Acute Trust’s court.”
