MP: Spend cash on building a new hospital, not on old one
THE £2 million cost of repairing a County Durham hospital strengthens the case for a new health care facility, an MP has said.
Richard Holden, who represents North West Durham, slammed the “huge amount of money being spent on a patch and repair” job on Shotley Bridge Hospital.
The politician says the spiralling costs strengthen the case for a new community hospital in Consett.
A decision on the hospital will depend on the North Durham Clinical Commissioning Group, which is working on plans to overhaul health care in the area.
Mr Holden questioned the Department for Health and Social
Care over how much the NHS Estate charges County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) for Shotley Bridge Hospital.
Ed Argar, Minister of State for Health, told the MP the annual charge for rent, service charges and management to CDDFT was £1.7m.
This included £577,000 in maintenance and repair costs passed to the trust, with the addition of NHS Property Services incurring £786,000 of landlord capital statutory compliance cost footed by taxpayers.
He said: “The figures on repair and maintenance for the current Shotley Bridge hospital of almost £2 million a year just strengthen the case I have been making to ministers for a new community hospital.
“That NHS Property Services itself has to spend almost £800,000 a year just keeping the building compliant is astonishing.
“We need to stop pouring money down the drain on patches and repair and get a new facility for local people instead.
“It is clear a local community hospital is not just the right thing for our growing community in and around Consett but also in the interest of delivering best value for taxpayers – money should be spent on services for patients and a new community hospital for my constituents, not on maintaining the ageing building.”
In March, CCG bosses revealed a shortlist of potential new sites which include the steelworks’ land, a site off the A692 and the former Blackfyne School site.
A fourth option includes upgrading the existing Shotley Bridge Hospital.