Health Secretary tells Shropshire MP to expect extra A&E beds ‘very soon’

The Secretary of State for Health has told a Shropshire MP to expect extra emergency beds at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital to be online ‘very, very soon’.

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan quizzed the Minister on the need for action in Shropshire’s ailing emergency services in the Commons chamber, asking for assurances that measures to ‘ease winter pressures’ would be in place urgently.

Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, asked, “Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has one of the most challenged A&E departments in England for a number of reasons.

“In August last year, the government awarded a grant of £21 million pounds to provide extra beds to ease some of those issues in the A&E, but those beds aren't online and operational yet.

“I wonder what assurances the Secretary of State can give to us that the measures have been taken to ease winter pressures are going to be in place to actually help people before the winter is over?”

Victoria Atkins, Secretary of State for Health, replied, “I will ask my Right Honourable Friend to liaise with her directly. As I say, the latest figures I have from NHS England working with local trusts is that more than 3000 of these extra 5000 beds were in situ in December.

“We expect the 5000 deadline to be met very shortly. And so I hope she will be seeing that at local level in her hospital very, very soon.”