WARRINGTON and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will receive an additional £4.3 million to support A&E capacity.

The funding means the trust will be able to increase its A&E capacity, put enhanced infection prevention and control measures in place and make improvements to emergency care and urgent treatment services.

Across England, the Government is providing £300 million to A&E departments, with work to be completed by the start of next year so hospitals can benefit from the upgrades during the peak of winter.

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Warrington South Tory MP Andy Carter has welcomed the announcement.

He said: “Last November, I invited Matt Hancock to Warrington Hospital to show him the pressures in our local A&E, I’m pleased to say the £4.3 million awarded today will address the capacity issues, it means we can extend the emergency department, adding more treatment cubicles, increasing the waiting areas, significantly remodelling paediatric A&E and improving facilities.

“It’s what the hospital trust asked for and I’m pleased the health secretary has listened and taken action to award the funding.

“This investment into our local A&E services addresses one of the most urgent issues at Warrington Hospital, it means work can begin immediately with the aim of having it finished by the start of next year.

“There’s also some additional capital funding agreed to address general maintenance at the hospital.

“I’m continuing to push for further funding to secure a new hospital over the long term.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the funding will help the NHS ‘prepare for the winter months’ and help them to deliver essential services while reducing the risk of coronavirus infections.

Chief executive of Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals, Professor Simon Constable, said: “We welcome this additional £4.3 million funding to support our winter planning arrangements and are delighted to have received one of the most significant allocations in the north west region and the highest in Cheshire and Merseyside.

“This is a huge boost to expanding our emergency department and our exciting vision for an enhanced assessment unit in Warrington Hospital’s Appleton wing which will enable us to bring together a range of clinical specialists to provide 24/7 access to diagnostics and assessments for patients.

“In addition to supporting us to upgrade our hospital facility this winter, this will help to alleviate the pressures on our emergency department and ensure that strict infection control and social distancing measures can be put in place to ensure our urgent care services continue to provide a safe environment for both patients and staff throughout the winter period.”