8:50am Friday 19th March 2010
By Barry Nelson
HEALTH Secretary Andy Burnham yesterday gave the go-ahead for a £464m hospital in the region.
The long-awaited decision ended speculation that the Wynyard Park project, north of Stockton, might become a victim of the expected public spending cuts.
Health bosses predict that the hospital will play a key role in the transformation of health services for people living in Hartlepool, Stockton and areas of Easington and Sedgefield.
The move will mark a significant break from the past, with many services moving out of a hospital environment and into local clinics.
It could also be a sign of things to come in the NHS, with calls this week for a cut in the number of hospital beds in England and a shift to community-based services.
The new hospital, which will replace outdated general hospitals in Hartlepool and Stockton, will provide specialist services for people in north Teesside, Hartlepool and east Durham.
The development is part of a wider programme of investment, which includes a range of improvements to local services.
Other developments include three integrated care centres in Billingham, Hartlepool and Stockton, which will provide more services, including tests, scans, outpatient appointments and treatment.
The new hospital will have an accident and emergency department, supported by a minor injury unit.
While people in Hartlepool and Stockton will have to travel far to reach the hospital, health bosses have promised to invest £10m to improve transport links.
Speaking in Hartlepool yesterday, Mr Burnham said: “In an era when resources are going to be more challenged, we are making this area a priority.
“In my view, this model is the way to go. We have to work harder to keep people out of hospital and that is not a bad thing.”
The health secretary paid tribute to the lobbying by five local MPs who helped to get the scheme approved.
He said: “Health services cannot stand still. In all parts of the country the NHS will have to ask searching questions about the best way to provide healthcare in the future.
“Where people have had the courage to propose changes that will improve health services and make them safer, the Government should back them up with the investment.
“I am here today to show my personal support for this development, and to recognise the hard work of those who have brought us to this point of being able to announce such a key scheme for these communities in the North- East.”
Wynyard Park chief executive Chris Musgrave said: “The announcement is fantastic for the region because it will lead to further investment and job creation.
“This visionary medical facility will have a very positive impact on the site and the communities we serve.
“We can now press ahead with the exciting plans that we have been developing that build on the great success we’ve had to date and reflect the fact that a world-class hospital is being built here.”
Work on the hospital is expected to start in 2012, with the first patients admitted in 2015.
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