The Lancaster MP has welcomed the news that NHS bosses are looking to build a new hospital away from the current RLI site.
This week it was announced that following on from the unveiling of the shortlist of proposals for new hospital facilities in March, the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme team have decided their preferred option for Royal Lancaster Infirmary (University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust) is a new state-of-the-art hospital on a new site, which could be up to a ten mile radius away from the current site.
Labour’s Cat Smith said: ‘(This) is good news for Lancaster residents and the staff who work in our NHS.
‘’Lancaster needs a state of the art hospital with modern facilities and improved access to healthcare in the community. I am happy that they listened to myself and local Labour councillors like Lizzi Collinge when we were clear residents did not want one 'super hospital' to serve both Preston and Lancaster, as was on the original longlist of options.
‘’The current RLI buildings are falling apart and it also suffers horrendous traffic and parking issues which spill over into local residential areas.
Related: NHS bosses unveil preference for a new hospital at a new site for Lancaster
‘’I will be now working hard to ensure the new Lancaster site will be accessible to everyone, including public transport users, and that they support a move to zero-carbon healthcare.
‘’In Westminster I’ll be pushing the Treasury to make a financial commitment to fund these plans, the programme having been subjected to multiple delays in getting a concrete financial settlement.’’
The Programme’s alternative option for RLI is an improved Royal Lancaster Infirmary in the current location to include a new urgent and emergency care village, together with reprovision of critical care, maternity and neonatal, and some inpatient accommodation and diagnostics.
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