Good News and Bad News on Local Hospital Funding
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
Andy Slaughter MP reunited with his ice bucket
January 24, 2025
There was good and bad news in the announcements on the "New Hospitals Programme" last week. All the Imperial College hospitals, Charing Cross, Hammersmith and St Mary’s, now have their place in the programme confirmed and the very substantial funding they will need for improvement will be delivered. However, the major work will now not be completed until towards the end of the next decade.
It's useful at this time to remember how we got here. Five years ago, Charing Cross was still under threat of demolition, but the seven-year battle fought by residents and the Save Our Hospitals campaign meant that the hospital was saved. However, it was clear at that stage that it, along with St Mary’s and Hammersmith hospitals, would need very substantial investment. Unfortunately, despite putting these schemes into the “New Hospitals Programme,” no funding was allocated and two years ago they were removed from the funded schemes altogether.
Since the election we've been waiting for the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to announce the future of the programme. That announcement came on 20 January and it confirmed that all the schemes in the programme would go ahead, but because of the spiralling cost and the addition of new schemes from the collapsing RAAC hospitals, the programme stretched well into the 2030s. What this means for Imperial is that, whereas the planning works can begin sooner, the actual rebuilding will now be in the stage three programme which begins in 2035.
Of course this is disappointing, although we can take comfort in the fact that the future of these hospitals is secure and in time they will be funded. In the meantime, they will continue to provide a world class clinical service, but I just wish for the sake of patients and the staff who work there every day that we could accelerate the improvement timetable.
This week in Parliament a moving service was held in the Portcullis House atrium for Holocaust Memorial Day. Parliamentarians and visitors gathered there to remember those who were killed in the Holocaust and to remember our duty to ensure such atrocities never happen again. There will be local services happening in the constituency on Monday, which is the official Holocaust Memorial Day, and I will be attending the Hammersmith service. It is unfortunate that this year I will be unable to attend the Chiswick service as both local services run concurrently.
I’d like to thank all the local churches who have written to me this week about the Westminster Hall debate on Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. I wrote to the Secretary of State on the matter just before Christmas and received a response informing me that the grant scheme was still being assessed, however, in a welcome announcement from the Government this week we received confirmation that the scheme will be continued for another year.
I was very pleased to be reunited with my repaired ice bucket at the weekend. Kate has done a fantastic job, and I was very pleased with the service. For those interested in attending the repair café, the next date is Saturday 15th February from 10:30am at Christ Church, Turnham Green.
Best wishes,
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
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