Council leaders unite in support for new Leeds hospital
A call for urgent Government approval and acceleration of plans for a new hospital in Leeds has been broadcast by council leaders, ahead of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s October budget.
A report will go to Leeds City Council’s Executive Board next week setting out the critical importance of the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust’s (LTHT) plans to build a new home for the children’s hospital, with one of the largest centralised maternity centres in the UK, and a new adult hospital.
The report highlights how the plans will bring a major economic boost to the city, creating 4,000 new jobs, 1,000 more homes and £13bn worth of economic benefit.
According to the report, the project should cement Leeds as a “go-to destination for health research, technology and digital innovation locally, nationally and internationally, with huge benefits for clinical investment and academic leadership.”
Councillor Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council executive member for equality, health and wellbeing, said: “The new hospital will boost the health of children and adults in this city as well as regenerating the existing and surrounding site. and promoting innovation and research across Leeds.
“It will play a vital part in tackling health inequalities and improving health outcomes for people in Leeds and the region.
“Along with all our partners, the West Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS) and the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), we confirm our unwavering support for the plans and call on the Government to approve and accelerate the programme.”
The report also sets out how the existing Leeds General Infirmary facilities and site are in serious need of updating.
It states that there is an urgent need for new, modern health buildings and equipment.
First confirmed as part of the Government’s New Hospitals Programme in 2019, the Hospitals of the Future project has since been hit by national delays.
Leeds City Council says Government approval and acceleration for the programme in this month’s budget will stem an estimated £300m of costs related to the ongoing delay of the scheme in Leeds.
It notes the Leeds programme is one of the most advanced in the country, with preparatory work already done to clear the construction site and Outline Planning Consent secured.
The site has also gained Investment Zone Status as a critical part of the West Yorkshire Digital Heath Investment Zone.
Leeds City Council’s Executive Board will meet on 16 October to consider the following recommendations:
*To note the strategic importance to Leeds of replacing existing hospital facilities on the Leeds General Infirmary site with new state-of-the-art buildings and equipment.
*To note the new hospital programme will deliver a boost to the health of children and adults, act to regenerate the existing and surrounding site and promote innovation and research across Leeds.
*The Executive Board is asked to support the call to Government to approve and subsequently accelerate the new hospital programme in Leeds, serving as critical regional health infrastructure.
*The Executive Board requests that, given the Treasury review of the new hospitals programme, officers make a submission to the Treasury clearly stating the importance of modernised hospital provision in Leeds.
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