Delays to the construction of the new East Riding Community Hospital ‘will not’ lead to a funding shortfall, says MP for Beverley and Holderness Graham Stuart.
Graham made the comment after it was reported in the media that the project faced being left £10 million short due to delays being caused by the discovery of a protected Great Crested Newt on the site.
Graham said: “After seeing this in the press I immediately contacted the East Riding of Yorkshire NHS to get clarification of the situation.
“I have been told the project is still very much on track and that the money earmarked for the hospital has not been affected by the six month delay in work starting on the site.
“I am told the documents which were referred to in the press were from a meeting back in March looking at ‘potential’ risks to the hospital project. “
And he added: “I, with so many others, have campaigned long and hard for this major new facility to be built in Beverley – it will serve the town and much of the surrounding area with state-of-the-art facilities which can simply not be provided at the Westwood Hospital.
"When I set up CHANT (Community Hospitals Acting Nationally Together) back in 2005, it seemed the days of the small community hospital were coming to an end. In the East Riding alone, Beverley, Driffield, Hornsea and Withernsea hospitals were all under threat of cutbacks or closure and it seemed we were fighting a losing battle against the former Government's plans.
“It took a lot of hard work but ministers finally caved in and came round to the fact hospitals like the one planned in Beverley offer superior health care close to people's homes."
The full business case for the new East Riding Community Hospital will go before the PCT board this Thursday. From there it will be Reserved Matters at planning on August 12 and to the Strategic Health Authority board on the September 7 prior to submission to the Department of Health.
