Government ‘committed’ to reversing decline of Doncaster Royal Infirmary
Politicians in Doncaster have been calling for investment in DRI for a number of years, including the former Don Valley MP, Nick Fletcher.
The Labour government has committed to “reversing the decline” of NHS hospitals like Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI) in the House of Commons.
Minister Karin Smith MP’s commitment came after Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson asked her if she would continue to work with local representatives and the Doncaster and Bassettlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTH) to “deal with the critical state” of DRI.
Jameson told the chamber: “Doncaster was badly let down under the previous administration when after much fanfare and promise we were left off the new hospital programme.
“Since then the Trust have been working on revised capital projects to keep it going in the interim period, including a much-needed rebuild of the east block.”
Smith, a minister of state for the Department of Health and Social Care, said Jameson had been a “tireless campaigner” for DRI since entering parliament.
The minister said: “Of course I will continue to work with her to support her local hospital.
“The previous Conservative government neglected the NHS, those buildings were left to crumble. The new hospital programme that was neither affordable nor deliverable.
“We are committed to reversing this decline and repairing hospitals, like Doncaster Royal Infirmary and that’s why the trust will receive over £105m in capital across the next four years to be allocated to those local priorities including repairs.”
Politicians in Doncaster have been calling for investment in DRI for a number of years, including the former Don Valley MP, Nick Fletcher.
The Conservative had lobbied previous Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak governments for a new hospital for Doncaster, but it was not delivered.
Smith told the chamber: “We inherited a crumbling NHS estate and many hospitals including Doncaster Royal Infirmary in a state of despair, thanks again to that shocking record of the last 14 years.
“When I visited Doncaster Royal Hospital, I saw first hand the outstanding care staff are providing despite significant infrastructure challenges and that’s why the Government supported Doncaster and Bassettlaw’s trust with £19.8m in national funding to redevelop the critical care unit and another £3.2m from the estate safety fund for fire safety works.”