Nus Ghani, MP for Wealden, has welcomed the news that East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is set to receive an additional £3.7 million in order to support A&E capacity ahead of the winter months.
This extra funding means that the Trust will be able to increase its A&E capacity, put enhanced infection prevention and control measures in place and make improvements to emergency care and urgent treatment services.
Across England, the Government is providing £300 million to A&E departments, with work to be completed by the start of next year so hospitals can benefit from the upgrades during the peak of winter. In June, the Prime Minister announced plans to accelerate £5 billion of infrastructure spending as part of an ambitious economic strategy to rebuild Britain by putting jobs, skills and infrastructure investment at the heart of the Government’s plans. This funding forms part of the New Deal, which allocated a total of £1.5 billion this year for hospital maintenance, hospital building and A&E expansion.
The funding also comes on top of the additional £3 billion that the Prime Minister recently announced to help prepare the NHS for the winter months ahead. This funding will allow the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector through the coronavirus pandemic, and also to maintain the Nightingale hospitals until the end of March next year.
Nus Ghani said: “I am aware of the anxieties regarding the winter flu pressures on our local services and this year, with Covid-19, it will be an extra challenge for Wealden. Last month, I asked the Health Secretary to ensure that both data and resources are made available to East Sussex Health Trust, East Sussex County Council and Wealden District Council ahead of winter. I am delighted that as a result, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is set to receive an additional £3.7 million in order to support A&E capacity ahead of the winter months. This funding to upgrade A&E across the Trust will ensure that we are in the best possible position for the challenges that the winter months may bring.”
You can watch a video of Nus asking the Health Secretary about resources for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust here.
