Hospitals Trust chair hits out at Health Secretary over ‘stalled’ £97.1m investment
The chair at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has hit out at Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock over a new £97.1m hospital facility planned for Birmingham.
Jacqui Smith has thrown light on the future of the cash the Trust was supposed to be receiving that would have helped it provide a new purpose-built facility at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham to replace the old outpatient, treatment and diagnostic accommodation.
The money was part of a £1.8bn announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson aimed at improving NHS frontline services.
However, in a tweet yesterday (30 October), Smith said the Birmingham scheme could be delayed.
Dear @MattHancock Today you said all capital projects you’d announced were definitely going ahead. But your dept has told us @uhbtrust that we can’t sign contract despite working on case for 2 years and risking a big increase in costs. Can you sort before you hit campaign trail?
— Jacqui Smith (@Jacqui_Smith1) October 30, 2019
The Trust includes Heartlands Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital , Solihull Hospital, Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham Chest Clinic.
Hancock did not respond to Smith or to our requests for a comment.
