The Department of Health (DH) and NHS England have finally revealed that 15 high-performing STP areas will be given a share of the £325m capital investment, to support local projects, as promised in the chancellor’s Spring Budget.
Speaking at the King’s Fund, health secretary Jeremy Hunt and NHS England CEO Simon Stevens gave the go-ahead for the extra funds – the most significant of which will be used for urgent care in Dorset, surgery in Greater Manchester and cancer care in Cumbria.
This latest tranche of funding has been targeted at the strongest and most advanced schemes in STPs, with the plans rated for their high performance across indicators in hospital performance, patient-focused change and transformation.
Up to £50m will be made available in the Greater Manchester area to help hospitals deliver significant improvements in urgent and emergency care by concentrating services in four hub sites across the city. This change is expected to save around 300 live in general surgery alone.
In Derbyshire, up to £30m will be invested to create an ‘Urgent Care Village’ at the Royal Derby with GP services, as well as implement improvements to the mental health system to ensure that patients receive the right care in the right place, first time.
Full story in NHE, 19 July 2017