£320m funding for region’s hospitals

NEARLY £320M in funding for hospital services in Yorkshire has been announced as part of major investment into the NHS.

Three large schemes in West Yorkshire were handed more than £230m, while hospitals in East and North Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire will benefit from nearly £88.5m in funding.

The largest chunk – £196m – was awarded to Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, which will now press ahead with revised plans for its two main hospitals.

Under the proposals, ambulances with patients with lifethreatening conditions will go to Calderdale Royal Hospital, in Halifax, while Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) will take “self-presenting” patients who turn up at accident and emergency. Anyone needing acute inpatient admission would then be transferred by ambulance to Calderdale.

The reorganisation of services comes after plans to bulldoze HRI and centralise A&E in Halifax were axed by NHS bosses in August after a storm of protest.

The foundation trust’s chief executive, Owen Williams, said that there were several more stages to be worked through as the plans were developed.

He added: “We will continue to work with local people, staff, partners, scrutiny and campaign groups to ensure that we create the next steps together.”

Elsewhere, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust received £27m to bring pathology services together in new facilities.

And four hospitals – Hull Royal Infirmary, Scarborough, Grimsby and Scunthorpe – will be granted funds for upgrades to ensure they meet modern standards.

Hull, Grimsby and Scunthorpe will also get new MRI and CT scanners, meaning patients can undergo tests more quickly and start their treatment earlier.