As someone with experience of working in the NHS, I know how much local people value the NHS, so I am delighted to learn this week that we are one step closer to building a new hospital in Sutton.
Over £100million has been spent improving Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, including earlier this year when the refurbishment of B and C blocks were unveiled. You can read more about the local NHS trust's plans to improve health and care locally here.
Since December the Improving Healthcare Together (IHT) programme, which is responsible to organising the future of Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, has been working with a wide range of experts, partners, local authority and public health colleagues, clinicians, the public and our regulators to gather research and evidence to help shape the proposals for the hospitals.
All of the evidence has been published on their website and can be viewed here. This includes two new pieces of evidence:
- The draft interim impact assessment report and,
- The impact on other providers – a summary assessment.
All of the evidence to date has been used to update the draft pre-consultation business case (PCBC) which they have now submitted today to NHS England for assurance. You can read more about it here.
The IHT programme, if seen through, will see a new hospital built on one of the local NHS Trust's three sites; St Helier, Sutton or Epsom hospitals. This new acute facility will care for the 15% of the sickest patients in the area.
This plan will mean absolutely no services are lost to St George's or even further afield. All of the services that our local NHS Trust currently provides will continue to be provided locally, and all in new and upgraded facilities that our local NHS staff deserve to work in, and patients deserve to be treated in.
I am pleased that, despite the scaremongering, plans are moving forward. The local NHS has my full support and I look forward to seeing the new facilities being built and upgraded in the coming years.