The support includes £22million of public capital across 2011/12 and 2012/13 to enable the Trust to take forward its plans to replace the existing theatres and Intensive Care Unit. The Trust is also receiving a further £3.2million for the New Labour suite, equipment, backlog and IT investment. This will help deliver real benefits to local patients.
The critical care and theatre rebuild project will result in a more streamlined and efficient provision of critical care and theatres by bringing all of Leighton Hospital’s theatres together into one state-of-the-art area on the Crewe site, replacing the three areas which are currently in use.
As well as providing modern equipment, the rebuild will also help the Trust with the expected rise in demand for critical care and theatre services over the next ten years. The project will see an additional theatre suite being added, bringing the total number to eight, while the number of Intensive Care and High-Dependency beds will increase from 11 to 14.
In addition, a number of smaller projects, such as a ward refurbishment to provide new and improved facilities for 32 patients a day, a refurbishment of the Trust’s Delivery Suite which will be benefit around 3,000 women every year, and the purchasing of an additional CT scanner, will be progressed throughout the year.
The funding is part of more than £330million to be invested in improving patient services and providing state of the art equipment across the NHS nationally. Hospitals around the country will get funding for new operating theatres, A&E departments and other services as well as new CT scanners and ultrasound equipment.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “I want NHS patients across Crewe and the surrounding areas to get the best care and treatment.
“We have saved money in central capital budgets this year which means we can spend more money on improving NHS facilities. This will mean that more patients in Cheshire will benefit from the latest world class equipment.”
Graham, who personally lobbied the Government in support of additional funding for Mid-Cheshire NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “This is fantastic news for patients in Mid-Cheshire. I am delighted that the Government has listened to local people and agreed to this extra funding which will deliver real improvements for patients.
“This is an important reminder that the Government is taking unprecedented steps to protect the NHS and actually increase spending at this time of austerity. If Labour had won the last election, they admitted they would have cut the NHS budget. This clear difference between political parties is one of the key reasons I am proud to support the Government.”