Money pledged to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital during a visit by the prime minister on Monday has been described by a union as “a drop in the ocean”.
The emergency department at Pilgrim Hospital has received a national funding boost of £21.3m, as announced by Boris Johnson when he visited the hospital with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock and Boston MP Matt Warman.
They met with patients and staff, including new Chief Executive Andrew Morgan, as they toured the site including the emergency department.
They heard how the money will help with a move towards defined urgent and emergency ‘care zones’ in an attempt to improve patient wait times and the flow of patients in and out of the department. This will allow patients needing emergency treatment to be seen and treated quicker.
The investment was announced by the Department of Health this week as part of a capital funding increase for hospitals across the country to go towards improving the experience of patients in emergency departments.
However, NHS workers remain “very concerned” about staffing levels, says UNISON.
UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “Extra cash for a chronically underfunded system is welcome but it’s tied to upgrading hospital buildings and will only cover a fraction of what needs doing after a decade of neglect.
Nothing has been promised to tackle the gaping holes in staffing.
“We wait expectantly for urgently needed money in the next budget to plug the gaps that will be identified in the forthcoming NHS people plan.”
UNISON regional organiser for Lincolnshire health branch Scott Kingswood said: “NHS staff remain very concerned about critically low staffing levels across the health service. Without a robust funding plan to get more staff on to wards, both staff and patients will continue to suffer as an over-stretched service creaks at the seams.”
“The money pledged today is a drop in the ocean for what’s needed to ensure the NHS recovers from the brutal cuts of the past decade.”
