Northampton General Hospital allocated £2.9m to brace A&E for potential second wave in winter months

Northampton General Hospital will receive £2.9m from the Government to help it prepare for what could be another severe winter for its accident & emergency department.

The Government has announced £300m for England's NHS Trusts to upgrade infection prevention control and make improvements to emergency care and urgent treatment services.

NGH has welcomed the money after reportedly bidding for the money with a plan to create a new designated paediatric A&E facility with space for social distancing and respond to winter pressures.

Deborah Needham, Managing Director at NGH, said: "We’re delighted to learn that our bid to improve paediatric A&E facilities at NGH has been successful. It’s vitally important that we create the space we need in both children’s and adult A&E to help us respond to winter pressures, and the risk from further outbreaks of coronavirus. This is excellent news for our patients, our community and our staff and a real boost for our urgent care services.

"All projects have to be completed by the start of the New Year, so work is already underway across NGH to ensure the hospital achieves maximum benefit from the upgrade during the peak of winter."

MP for Northampton South Andrew Lewer said: “Staff at NGH have worked tirelessly over recent months, and I would like to thank them for everything

they have done to get our local community through the coronavirus pandemic.

“While we hope for the best this winter, it's right that we plan for the worst. This funding to upgrade A&E across the Trust will ensure that we are in the best possible position for the challenges that the winter months may bring.

“As a Conservative, the NHS is my top priority and I was re-elected last December on a promise to deliver record NHS investment and level up the health service across the country. I am delighted to see the Conservatives in Government getting on with doing exactly that.”