Kentish Express Ashford & District
Cash boost for Harvey’s A&E facility
The William Harvey is set to benefit from a share of £150 million to upgrade A&E facilities in time for winter.
The East Kent Hospitals Trust is one of four healthcare providers in the south east, and 25 across the UK, to receive a cut of the money.
Some £3m has been allocated to the William Harvey which will be put towards an expansion of the emergency department and increasing same day care.
Meanwhile the QEQM in Margate will get £4m which will be spent on re-modelling the existing space to make room for more clinical treatment areas.
The trust also hopes to extend major trauma cubicles for adults and children to improve patient flow.
The projects are due to be completed by the start of next year.
The investment comes as part of the Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock’s plan to help hospitals cope over the coming months with the added pressures of Covid-19.
The additional £150m takes the government’s total spending on hospital upgrades across England to £450m this winter.
On Friday, Ashford MP Damian Green visited the William Harvey to see two areas of the site in development.
In a tweet, the East Kent Hospitals Trust said: “He visited the new intensive care unit and a larger surgical emergency admissions unit for patients who need emergency treatment.
“Both will help improve patient care and experiences.”
Mr Green tweeted: “[I’m] delighted the William Harvey is getting an extra £3m to improve emergency services as winter approaches.”