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Health chiefs given the go-ahead to rebuild London’s most derelict hospitals have been left in the dark about when they will receive almost £1 billion promised by the Government, the Evening Standard has learned.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Tory party conference that new hospitals at Whipps Cross and in Sutton were among the first tranche of projects to share £2.7 billion to “go ahead now”.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs St Mary’s, Charing Cross and Hammersmith hospitals, and Hillingdon NHS trust were named among a further 21 trusts to share £100 million of “seed funding” to develop rebuilding plans.
Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust believes it will receive £500 million to build a new “specialist emergency care hospital”, with Sutton the most likely of three possible locations. Barts Health hopes to receive £400 million for a new hospital at Whipps Cross.
But sources told the Standard that no details had been received from the Department of Health. They are unclear which of a number of options for the new hospitals has government support — and whether the money comes with strings attached, such as the need to sell land to fund the plans. “There has been nothing,” one source said. Whipps Cross, in Leytonstone, was visited by Boris Johnson last month, when he was challenged by Omar Salem, a Labour activist whose daughter was receiving care, about the lack of resources.
Mr Hancock’s newly published health infrastructure plan lists Whipps Cross and either Sutton, St Helier or Epsom as the sites “that are sufficiently developed in order to get the full go-ahead now, subject to business case approvals”.
Hospital chiefs were trying to remain upbeat. One source said they were keen “not to look a gift horse in the mouth”.
The Department for Health said the “final detail” of each scheme would come after business cases were submitted. “Epsom and St Helier Trust will receive funding for a new major acute hospital facility,” a spokesman said. “No decision has been made on the site the new facility will be built, either at Epsom Hospital, St Helier Hospital or Sutton Hospital. A public consultation will begin in the near future.
“The Whipps Cross scheme is being developed and their business case will bring together the views of stakeholders to finalise the scope for the scheme and the health services to be included.”
