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Top e-government news, updated daily, and regular features from the top people in the public sector.
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| Billion pound boost for NHS hospitals |
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Tens of thousands of people living in the West Midlands and North West are set to benefit from a major £1 billion redevelopment of NHS hospitals in Birmingham and St Helens. The Birmingham re-development is the largest hospital PFI scheme outside of London to get the go-ahead.
Health Minister Rosie Winterton today gave approval for University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation NHS Trust and St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust to proceed with new private finance initiative (PFI) schemes.
A new acute hospital and mental health facilities will open to patients under the Birmingham scheme. The £690 million scheme will provide 1,231 beds, as well as an A&E, specialist burns and transplant wards a decontamination suite and operating theatres.
The £338 million St Helens scheme will see the redevelopment of St Helens and Whiston hospitals, including a new diagnostic treatment centre at St Helens and a new 963-bed general hospital, delivering a full range of acute services, at Whiston.
The new facilities will replace outdated facilities at Whiston Hospital, with patients currently having to be moved around across the site between buildings.
Rosie Winterton said:
"We are delighted to be able to give the go-ahead for these two schemes. These major new hospitals will be great news for the people of Birmingham and St Helens. The new facilities will not only be the best in terms of design and quality, but they will be affordable well into the future.
"These developments are just part of our commitment to the biggest hospital building programme in the history of the NHS. New facilities like these are replacing inadequate and outdated hospitals across the country."
Development of the site for the new Birmingham hospital has already started under an advanced works agreement and work will begin on the St Helens sites in June. The first new facilities are expected to open to patients at St Helens in late 2008 and Birmingham in early 2010, with final work expected to complete at Birmingham in late 2012. |
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