20 October 2010
Trust plans to spend £219 million redeveloping St Helier Hospital were given a massive boost today (20 October 2010) as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne MP, reconfirmed that the Government would be funding the £219 million scheme.
The announcement was part of the Government's long awaited comprehensive spending review, which will see an estimated £81 billion being cut from public spending over the next few years.
Samantha Jones, Chief Executive of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Whilst we recognise the difficult financial climate we face as a nation, the St Helier Hospital redevelopment is vitally important and just had to go ahead.
"Whilst our doctors, nurses and other staff do a fantastic job in providing care to the people of Sutton, Merton and surrounding areas, it is in an old and run down hospital. This investment will completely transform the St Helier Hospital site and ensure that our patients are able to receive first-class care in a first-class environment.
"The priority for us now is to turn the single biggest investment in healthcare in the area for a generation into a reality. The sooner we get builders and bulldozers on the site, the better."
