Calls for 'urgent' investment to rebuild hospital

Doncaster Royal Infirmary is in need of funding to rebuild and refurbish the site, officials say

An MP is calling for "urgent" government funding to rebuild Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

The hospital previously missed out on funding, failing its bid to be added to the last government's new hospital programme in 2023.

During a debate in the House of Commons on Thursday, Doncaster Central Labour MP Sally Jameson will tell other MPs about the issues faced at the site and the repairs needed to make it "fit for the future".

In a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care said repairing hospitals was a "key part" of its plans and had set aside £1bn to address the "backlog of critical NHS maintenance, repairs and upgrades".

Hospital officials previously told the BBC that the existing hospital, which was built in the 1930s, with further development in the 1960s and 1980s, had outgrown the site.

It had also fallen into a state of disrepair with a £116m maintenance backlog.

Richard Parker, chief executive at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said £25m was invested annually in maintenance and to keep the site safe and operational.

He said: "While we continue to invest and have a strong track record of delivering improvements, a comprehensive refurbishment is needed to create a modern, safe and sustainable hospital that meets the needs of our patients now and in the future."

Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson wants government funding to rebuild the site

Jameson said the refurbishment and rebuild plans would require "significant amounts of money".

"It does fall into the hundreds of millions but that doesn't necessarily all have to be done straight away," she said.

"We are entitled to a hospital that is fit for purpose and fit for the future and we see the incredible NHS staff who work there doing a great job in those circumstances and they deserve better as well."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said its budget included £750m to fix the "poorest quality estates and help ensure hospitals are safe and sustainable".

"No one is under any illusions the NHS estate we inherited is crumbling, following years of neglect, but repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create a health service for the future," they added.

"At the Budget, we announced £1bn to address the backlog of critical NHS maintenance, repairs and upgrades, and tackle dangerous Raac concrete, as part of the highest capital budget in real terms since before 2010."

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