Today I was pleased to welcome Health Minister Nicola Blackwood to St Helier Hospital.
This was an excellent opportunity to showcase the over £100m worth of investment that has gone into our local NHS Trust already, such as the refurbishment of B and C blocks, which saw 133 windows replaced, the roof repaired and newly insulated, and a new 10 centimetre concrete render (which meets the highest fire safety standards) added to the outside of the building. The Minister even finished the last patch of painting that needed doing on the outside wall!
She also did the honour of unveiling a commemorative plaque on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP. After the painting was completed and the plaque unveiled, she joined myself and Paul Scully MP and spoke to nurses, doctors and support staff who work in the main blocks of the building (those teams who worked hard to help keep patients comfortable during the disruption of the work) about their roles in a busy hospital. She paid tribute to their hard work and took their experiences away to share with the Secretary of State.
I was delighted that the Minister came to see the improvements that have happened at St Helier. There's so much more to do, but we are beginning to see what a difference the improvements that have already begun are making to patient care, including finally replacing the ancient boilers to deliver greener energy for the hospital, a new renal unit and more room at A&E.
As an NHS worker myself, it is great to see our local NHS Trust getting the investment it needs to continue to provide excellent care to local people.
Click here to read more about future plans to deliver improvements at Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust.