MPs back QA Hospital's calls for funding to upgrade '˜unfit for purpose' A&E

POLITICIANS have written to the health secretary demanding cash for the emergency department at Queen Alexandra Hospital.
MPs have backed QA's calls for funding to upgrade the hospital's A&E departmentMPs have backed QA's calls for funding to upgrade the hospital's A&E department
MPs have backed QA's calls for funding to upgrade the hospital's A&E department

Alan Mak, MP for Havant, Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North and Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, want Matt Hancock to fund the redevelopment of the Cosham site.

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MP says QA's A&E is '˜not fit for purpose'

It comes after Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust (PHT), which runs the hospital, has expressed a need for a refurbished facility which is better suited to demand. They put in a bid for funding last month.

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They want to create a single point of access for adult and paediatric emergencies, redesign the layout to make it safer for patients and improve the admission process.

If successful with funding, the work could be complete by early 2021.

A statement from PHT said: '˜The building needs a significant upgrade, a fact that has been recognised by external organisations including the Care Quality Commission.

'˜Improving the building and environment is only one part of the solution to address the challenges which has been a longstanding issue.

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'˜However it is a fundamental part of our plan to deliver an improved experience for both patients using the emergency department and our staff working in it.'

The MPs have all met with chief executive Mark Cubbon who had previously described A&E as '˜not being fit for purpose'.

In her letter to Mr Hancock Ms Mordaunt said: '˜Following the PFI redevelopment of QA, there have been a number of enhancements to the physical space. While this is positive, admission numbers continue to grow.

'˜The physical layout of the major areas continues to present a significant operational challenge for staff and despite their best efforts, it has been accepted the current major area is not fit for purpose.'

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Mr Mak agrees with Ms Mordaunt. He said a priority for him when becoming MP was improving healthcare for his constituents.

'˜Having met some of the hard-working A&E staff, this extra investment will give doctors and nurses the resources they need to deliver first class care,' he said.

Mr Morgan first piled pressure on the health secretary in July. He said: '˜Simply put, A&E is no longer fit for purpose. Staff, and the patients they care for, deserve infrastructure suited to modern demands.'

The Department of Health and Social Care said it is working with NHS Improvement and NHS England to evaluate the July bids.