MAJOR plans for a new emergency care centre at Southend Hospital have been announced, with an MP insisting news on £51 million Government funding will be announced in weeks.
Southend West MP Anna Firth says she has held crunch talks with health minister Robert Jenrick, over the release of funding, which was first promised back in 2017.
She claims an announcement will be made in the coming weeks amid hopes the £51m plan will tackle concerns about long delays at Southend Hospital’s A&E department.
The cash will be used to develop an emergency care hub, which would include the creation of an emergency village, paediatric assessment unit co-location, and an urgent care centre.
It is hoped this will lead to more beds, increased space and greater capacity at Southend Hospital for emergencies, helping reduce waiting time, and improve patient experience.
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Ms Firth said: “From the start, I have assured constituents that my pursuit of this money will be relentless until Southend Hospital gets what it has been promised.
“The hard-working nurses and taxpaying patients in desperate need of critical treatment deserve a hospital fit for city status, and I will work with the minister until the £51 million is secured.
“I was informed news will hopefully be on its way within weeks as soon as the new Government has finished reviewing spending for projects earmarked under the previous leadership of Boris Johnson.”
It comes after a new £1.2 million building at Southend Hospital opened earlier this year, adding extra consulting rooms, a waiting area, and new offices.
The new two-storey building provides extra outpatient space to that already in place at the hospital.
Bosses hope the extra capacity for outpatients will reduce waiting times and prevent chronic conditions getting worse and eventually needing emergency treatment.
It comes amid regular reports of queueing ambulances outside Southend Hospital, with paramedics struggling to offload patients due to the high numbers of people already in A&E.
Earlier in the year, Ms Firth was pushing for the original £7 million cash injection to be released to Southend Hospital.
Then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised it would be released, but this never happened.
This has led to Ms Firth chasing the entire £51 million which was first pledged in 2017.
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