I am delighted that Scarborough hospital is to receive an extra £40 million to expand the Emergency Department. The money will be spent on providing a rapid assessment and diagnostic unit and allow significant improvements to the hospital’s engineering infrastructure.
I was pleased to be able to offer support for the bid alongside Scarborough MP, Robert Goodwill. It will mean that patients, many of whom live in my constituency, will be able to receive a more integrated service, by putting diagnostics, urgent and emergency care services together at the front of the hospital. It’s particularly welcome when services are struggling to keep up with the ever-increasing demand. It will also ensure that patients are only admitted to hospital when absolutely necessary and if they need specialist care, otherwise they will be treated in the community.
Altogether £88.5 million is being spent on upgrading Emergency Departments in four of the region’s hospitals. In addition to the £40 million for Scarborough Hospital, a further £19.3 million will be spent on Hull Royal Infirmary and £29.2 million on the Diana Princess of Wales and Scunthorpe General Hospitals. Overall this will mean the Emergency Departments across the region are modernised and will offer a better environment for patients. Funding will also be spent on new MRI and CT Scanners which will mean that patients can undergo tests more quickly and therefore start their treatment earlier.
This extra funding comes on top of the £20.5 billion per year extra funding for the NHS over the next five years, which is the longest and largest funding settlement in the NHS history and shows that this Government is serious about providing the best possible care for patients.
