I join Robin Walker, MP for Worcester, in welcoming the announcement that the Government has approved approximately £4 million of extra funding for an expansion to the Emergency Department at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital and the provision of an additional discharge suite. This comes on the back of a further announcement of help for the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust from the Emergency Care Improvement Programme.
It has been clear for some time that the hospital, built to serve a footfall of around 45,000 has been dealing with more like 66,500 and was struggling to meet the demand of a much larger population within its catchment area as well as the issues faced across the UK with an ageing population and more people living with long term conditions.
Recognising that the pressures are already there and an interim solution was needed, he met with clinical leaders straight after the election to discover what could be done in the meantime. Today’s announcement will provide a much needed interim solution and should mean that extra capacity will be in place for much of next winter.