Lancashire and South Cumbria to benefit from multi-million-pound investment in NHS transformation projects

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and NHS England boss Simon Stevens have announced £325m of capital investment for local projects that will help the NHS to modernise and transform care for patients.

Speaking at the King’s Fund, Mr Hunt and Mr Stevens gave the green light to local capital investment schemes in 15 areas of the country, including Lancashire and South Cumbria where:

• East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust will receive £5m - £10m to develop A&E services.
• £5m - £10m of the new capital funding has been earmarked to be used to modernise mental health inpatient services.

Dr Amanda Doyle, GP and Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) Lead for Lancashire and South Cumbria, said:

"For our STP to be awarded this funding demonstrates the strength of the partnerships developing across Lancashire and South Cumbria. This investment will support us to make faster progress on modernising mental health services and improving A&E facilities which will help to improve lives for people across our region.”

This initial tranche of funding has been targeted at the strongest and most advanced STPs. All plans have been developed locally.

The funding was secured in the Budget in March when the government also committed to make further capital investment available in the forthcoming Autumn Budget.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

“This funding will support strong local plans to help the NHS modernise and transform care for patients.

A measure of success of these transformation partnerships is that people can see and feel improvements being made in their local area - there are already excellent examples of this across the country and this money will allow them to go further and faster.”

NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens said:

"Today we're firing the starting gun on the first wave of major service upgrades and care redesign which will benefit people living in counties, towns and cities across England.

For patients it'll mean easier GP appointments, modern A&Es, and better cancer and mental health care. For staff, we're putting our money where our mouth is in backing these practical plans developed by doctors, nurses and local NHS leaders. This is the first down payment of much needed investment in modern equipment and NHS facilities, with more promised in the Autumn and beyond.

Today is proof positive that when you back the NHS with investment, both patients and taxpayers see the practical benefits."