West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust will receive over £2million to prepare for winter

The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust (WHHT) will receive £2.66million to help the NHS prepare for winter pressures.

The Trust - which manages Hemel Hempstead, Watford General and St Albans hospitals - will receive the money to upgrade their facilities.

NHS Trusts across the East have been allocated a share of £28.8 million, part of a £300 million funding package.

The Prime Minister will also urge the public to feel confident to visit A&E for the treatment they need, reassuring those who remain concerned of the strict social distancing and hygiene measures that are in place to protect patients. 

Hospitals could use the funding to expand waiting areas and increase the number of treatment cubicles, helping them boost A&E capacity by providing additional space and improving infection control measures.

They could also increase the provision of same day emergency care and improve patient flow in the hospital to help the NHS respond to winter pressures and the risk from further outbreaks of coronavirus.

WHHT chief operating officer Sally Tucker said: “We look forward to receiving this winter funding which will help to improve the safety of patients and staff in our emergency department.

"The funding will be used to increase capacity and improve patient flow enabling everyone in the department to follow social distancing guidelines more easily.

"It will also help improve our infection control measures.”

Projects will be completed by the start of next year so hospitals benefit from the upgrades during the peak of winter.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We continue to deliver on our promise to build back better and faster, with £300 million allocated today for NHS trusts to upgrade their facilities and improve A&E capacity.

“These upgrades will help our fantastic NHS prepare for the winter months, helping them to deliver world-leading services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.

“Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of NHS staff throughout the pandemic, our A&Es have remained open for the public.

“It’s vital that those who need emergency treatment this winter access it, and for those who remain concerned about visiting hospitals, let me assure you that the NHS has measures in place to keep people safe.”

Health Minister Edward Argar said: “Our NHS did an amazing job to ensure emergency care continued to be available for everyone who needed it during the peak of this pandemic.

“Today, we are announcing the details of the Trusts across the country who will receive a share of £300 million to upgrade their A&Es and support emergency care to help them to continue to deliver safe and accessible services throughout the normally busy winter period.

“This funding is part of our record investment in NHS infrastructure to ensure our health services continues to meet the needs of the present and to be fit for future demands placed upon it.”