Latest from the programme

Today (25 May 2023) the Government has announced a record investment of more than £20 billion, ring-fenced for the next phase of the national New Hospital Programme, which brings proposals for new cutting-edge hospital facilities for Lancashire and South Cumbria a step closer.

The Your Hospitals, Your Say report provides a summary of the feedback we have heard about what is most important to you regarding your future hospital facilities. Watch our video, where Claire Granato, Allied Health Professionals Lead for the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme, reads the Easy Read version of the report, accompanied by British Sign Language.

A collaborative research project between the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme and Lancaster University ran from March to July 2022, specifically looking into engaging with underrepresented people within the Lancashire and South Cumbria region.

Alongside engaging with the public, the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme is seeking views from staff members across the health and care system to ensure that their needs will be met by new hospital facilities. Claire Granato, Allied Health Professionals Lead, discusses the topics of conversation at the recent webinars held to update staff about the programme.

In September 2022, the NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria stated its preference for new hospitals on new sites for both Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Royal Preston Hospital as part of the New Hospitals Programme, alongside alternative partial rebuild options. We are currently awaiting further announcements from the national New Hospital Programme team regarding capital funding for our programme, which will help determine what is possible.

In September 2022, the NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria stated its preference for new hospitals on new sites for both Royal Preston Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary as part of the New Hospitals Programme, while partial re-builds of both sites also remain as shortlisted options. Kate Hudson, an operational lead for the programme, discusses the impact that new facilities would have on staff, patients and the public.

The condition of hospital facilities in both Preston and Lancaster is one of the main driving factors behind the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme, which has indicated its preference for two new hospitals on new sites for both Royal Preston Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary. Alistair Rose is part of the team working to identify suitable new potential sites.

Alistair Rose, director of strategic estates, infrastructure and sustainability for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), discusses how the New Hospitals Programme would help the local NHS hit the target of being net zero carbon by 2040.

Although it’s not in the scope of the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme, Westmorland General Hospital will continue to play a key role in Morecambe Bay. Miss Jane McNicholas, Medical Director of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, explains where Kendal’s hospital will fit in the region’s healthcare picture.

The NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria has stated its preference for new hospitals on new sites for both Royal Preston Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary as part of the New Hospitals Programme, which plans to develop cutting-edge facilities, offering the absolute best in modern healthcare and addressing significant problems with the current ageing hospital buildings.