Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership has secured £16million to upgrade hospital A&E departments across the region to help respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and winter pressures.
The government has awarded the money to the Partnership this year (2020/21) to improve A&E department facilities and capacity at York Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary, Scarborough Hospital, Scunthorpe Hospital, Grimsby’s Diana Princess of Wales Hospital and Harrogate District Hospital.
The funding for Humber, Coast and Vale is part of the government’s £150million initiative announced today (Thursday, 17th September) to redevelop A&E facilities at 25 hospitals across England, and follows on from last month’s £300million funding allocation to upgrade A&E facilities at 117 hospital trusts across the country in preparation for winter.
Scunthorpe Hospital and Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby will each receive £4million and York Hospital will receive £2million this year, as part of an overall package to redevelop A&E facilities at the three sites expected to total £45million over the next two years.
As announced by the government in August, Hull Royal Infirmary, Scarborough Hospital and Harrogate District Hospital will collectively receive £6million for a number of improvements this year, such as increasing A&E capacity by providing additional space, expanding waiting areas, increasing the number of treatment cubicles and improving patient flow.
This means the total investment to improve A&E hospital facilities in Humber, Coast and Vale is expected to reach £51million across 2020/21 and 2021/22.
These improvements will help the hospitals continue to provide a safe environment for patients to receive the treatment they need by helping to reduce overcrowding and improve infection control measures.
Professor Stephen Eames CBE, System Lead and Independent Chair of the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership, said: “This additional funding to improve hospital A&E facilities across Humber, Coast and Vale is very welcome, especially with winter approaching and as we continue to provide emergency care amid challenging circumstances caused by Covid-19.
“This extra funding will enable us to improve our A&E departments in a number of ways as we continue to provide emergency care to our local people when they need it. It is hoped that this improvement work will go a long way to reassure patients that they are safe when they visit hospital to receive the care they need.”
Peter Reading, Chief Executive of North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Scunthorpe General Hospital and Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, said: “This huge investment in our emergency care services will completely transform the environment for our patients and staff. These new buildings will include more isolation rooms and more waiting areas so we can ensure our patients are treated safely and quickly. We’re looking forward to starting the work and getting these new facilities built for our local communities.”
Simon Morritt, Chief Executive at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs York Hospital and Scarborough Hospital, said: “We are delighted to have secured this funding, which will have a significant positive impact as we look to deal with the challenges that winter brings. Winter traditionally creates additional demands on our services and this, coupled with our ongoing coronavirus response, is likely to bring a number of challenges this year.
“The investment will help provide additional side rooms and enable us to make other improvements to our emergency departments. This will ensure that we are in the best possible position to help our patients stay well this winter, and care for them in a timely way should they need hospital treatment.”