I was delighted to hear yesterday that staff, patients and visitors at NHS hospitals across Wiltshire are set to benefit from more than £3.5 million of Government funding for new or upgraded facilities by March next year.
Across the South West, 21 NHS Trusts will receive a total of £45.8 million, to go towards 199 maintenance projects, eight of which are in Wiltshire and include new or refurbished buildings, replacing lifts, upgrading electrical infrastructure, work to improve fire safety and enhancing ventilation systems. Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded £3.4million for seven projects, including £1.3million for water system upgrades, while Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is getting £195,000 for one project.
Two trusts that provide services that span Wiltshire and other counties have also secured funding – South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (£925,000 for eight projects) and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (£750,000 for nine projects).
These upgrades and changes should provide real benefits, not only for patients but for all NHS and Trust staff, who work so hard to look after us when we are unwell and I am pleased to see Wiltshire’s hospitals well represented in this latest funding announcement.
We still await confirmation of the building start date for the long-promised Integrated Care Centre in Devizes. I have again chased the Department for Health for clarity on this and look forward to hearing good news soon!
