Hospital’s £12m lift
VICTORIA Hospital, the main hospital for Blackpool and Lancashire’s Fylde Coast, and Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS services are benefiting from a £12 million investment aimed at expanding the number of critical care, specialist respiratory and enhanced care beds across the regions.
The coronavirus pandemic has seen the number of hospital admissions grow across the county, but patient safety and minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission remain a top pri- ority.
As care demand increases, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust are working together to enhance the critical care facilities.
Kevin McGee, chief executive of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, speaking on behalf of hospitals in Lancashire and South Cumbria, said: “Throughout the pandemic, the NHS has been here for you and emergency departments have remained open.
“If you do have to go to hospital, please be assured that it is as safe as possible.
“NHS staff are following strict social distancing and hygiene measures to allow people to access care safely.
“Please do not hesitate to access emergency treatment if you need it. “We have put measures in place across NHS services to best protect patients and staff, such as temporarily restricting hospital visiting.
“As we now see rising rates of COVID-19 and with the added pressures of winter, this funding will help us to continue to deliver safe and high quality care in this new normal and meet the needs of people in Lancashire and South Cumbria.”
If you need advice but it is not an emergency, it is best to first access NHS 111 online or call NHS 111 or contact your GP.