LOCAL Lib Dems are calling for more investment in Warrington Hospital, which has parts not fit for purpose, following news of a £3m investment for improvements.
Warrington Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision by the NHS to invest £3m in vital building maintenance and safety improvements at Warrington and Halton Hospitals as part of an £750m Estates Safety Fund announced by the Department of Health and Social Care.
The Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Health, Cllr Helen Speed, said, “This money will help tackle some of the urgent problems. Our NHS staff do an incredible job in ageing and sometimes unsafe buildings, but let’s be clear, it is a sticking plaster. We need long-term investment, not short-term fixes.
“I understand that the funding will go towards improvements to external and internal building fabric and fixtures, medical gas, water, ventilation and electrical systems. It will also go towards fire safety, lift upgrades, drainage works and a new nurse call system.
“We know that parts of Warrington Hospital are not fit for purpose and we have long called for greater capital funding for our local health infrastructure. We need a new hospital but we now know from hospital bosses that this is not going to happen in the foreseeable future. We must continue to press for smaller investments that will help meet patients’ and staff concerns about outdated facilities and be part of a wider plan to modernise Warrington’s NHS estate.”
The funding announced last Friday is part of the national Estates Safety Fund, which will support a wide variety of schemes, including building repairs and upgrading infrastructure, to enhance patient and staff environments and help to reduce disruptions for clinical services.
As part of this funding, Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals has been awarded £3.1 million to improve and modernise building management systems, upgrade and replace lifts, carry out essential roof replacements, and upgrade ventilation systems in critical areas such as theatres.
