Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West, is delighted that the Health Secretary has announced that hospital staff, patients and visitors in hospitals which are part of the Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will benefit from refurbished wards, brand new electrics and upgraded ventilation systems.

The Trust will receive £7,400,000 to carry out the work, which could include building new or refurbishing buildings to deliver key services, upgrades to electrical infrastructure, improvements to ventilation systems, works to improve fire safety and the replacement of hospital lifts.

The Government has announced allocations of £600 million to tackle critical maintenance work in hospitals across England, including 29 projects in Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The money is part of a £1.5 billion announcement by the Prime Minister in the summer to level up hospital infrastructure across the NHS. While £600 million will be spent on these critical maintenance upgrades, the remainder will be spent on modernising mental health facilities, expanding A&E capacity and improving infection control ahead of winter.

Sir David said “I am very pleased that so many of the local health care facilities that the Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are responsible for will benefit from Government funding to carry out vital maintenance work. Our NHS staff work tirelessly throughout the year, but have been especially selfless during the pandemic and I am glad the Government is recognising that”.