ANY new hospital to be built in Warrington must be easily accessible to the north of the borough because it has some of the most health deprived areas.
That’s the view of Warrington North MP Helen Jones, who has raised the issue in Parliament.
Questioning the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the MP said:
“Warrington desperately needs a new hospital to replace its old, out-of-date buildings, so in allocating future capital funding will the Secretary of State bear in mind the levels of health deprivation that exist in the area, and will he ensure that any new hospital is accessible to those in my constituency, which has areas that are among the most health deprived in the borough?”
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt confirmed that need was a fundamental criterion when looking at allocating capital funding – but stopped short of confirming any new hospital would be in the borough of the borough.
Ms Jones said: “There is clearly a need for a new hospital in Warrington but it has to be within easy reach of people in my constituency.
“However, the Secretary of State refused to say that it would be positioned to serve residents of Warrington North. Many of the most health deprived areas in the borough are in Warrington North, which also has some of the lowest levels of car ownership.
“Easy access for those people should be a priority when considering any new site and I will be contacting the leader of the council to ask him to press for this to be a priority as well.
“Strong public and patient engagement is also part of NHS England’s criteria for deciding on assessing health needs. I would, therefore, expect to see real and meaningful consultation across Warrington, especially in the areas of health deprivation, when any site for a proposed new hospital is considered.”
