Hospital rebuild review 'disappointing' - former MP

Former Bury St Edmunds MP Jo Churchill has called on her successor, Peter Prinsley, to fight for the hospital rebuild

A former Conservative MP has described a government review into a hospital rebuild as "bitterly disappointing".

On Monday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the former government's plans to rebuild 40 hospitals by 2030 would be reviewed to tackle what she said was a £22bn hole in the country's finances.

The new Labour MP for the area, Peter Prinsley, said he was confident West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds would remain on the list.

However, Jo Churchill, the former MP for Bury St Edmunds, who did not stand during the recent election, said she hoped Mr Prinsley would "stand up to his party" on the issue.

"Having campaigned for a new hospital since my election in 2015, it is bitterly disappointing to see a Labour government delay this vital investment," she said.

"How can you talk about growth and more housebuilding if we don’t have the infrastructure to support it?

"I hope the new MP stands up to his party, especially as he works in a Norfolk RAAC [reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete] hospital and understands the issues, and works with us to get the promised hospital that so many people worked so hard to secure back on track."

The NHS trust said it was still on track to build the hospital by 2030

Mr Prinsley previously said he believed "not reconstructing these hospitals is not an option" after Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Parliament the new hospital programme was "not deliverable" by 2030.

"They certainly will need to be done," Mr Prinsley, who is also an ear, nose and throat doctor at the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, Norfolk, has said.

"It's a bit disappointing, frankly, but we have to be realistic about what can be achieved in the time that has been stated.

"The last government said they would put up these 40 new hospitals, and by the time they have left office, as far as I can see, very little progress has been made."

Mr Prinsley has said he was sure West Suffolk Hospital would be rebuilt, regardless of the timeframe.

MP Peter Prinsley said during his election campaign that health was one of his priorities

Gary Norgate, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust's new hospital programme director, said the trust was on track to deliver the new hospital by 2030.

He said he hoped the review would not "inadvertently slow the momentum created within local schemes, particularly those replacing aged RAAC estate".

"The trust has been making great progress with our plans to build a replacement hospital, with archaeological surveys, buffer tree planting and the construction of a temporary access road either complete or very advanced," he added.

The Treasury said on Monday it had identified a "forecast overspend" for this year of £21.9bn.

Ms Reeves announced budget cuts worth £5.5bn this year which will rise to £8.1bn next year.

Other cuts including scrapping winter fuel allowance payments for about 10 million pensioners who do not receive pension credit or other means-tested benefits, and scrapping a cap on the amount people in England pay for social care.

Mr Prinsley has been approached for comment.