MP Paul Waugh welcomes ‘vital’ government investment to improve local hospital buildings and tackle backlog
Rochdale MP Paul Waugh has welcomed a major government funding boost that will see Rochdale Infirmary and Birch Hill Hospital receive vital repair funding as part of a £750 million national package.
The funding, allocated for 2025/26, will be used to address long-standing maintenance issues such as broken ventilation systems, faulty electrics and leaking pipes, problems which Waugh said had led to thousands of cancelled appointments and operations under the previous government.
Writing on social media, Mr Waugh said the money would help “lift the NHS off its knees” by supporting better hospital infrastructure and enabling more patients to be seen.
“We are helping to make the NHS fit for the future with this vital maintenance to our hospitals,” he wrote. “Yes, there’s a lot more to do, especially in areas like maternity care, and we can’t fix everything overnight. But this is a welcome start.”
When speaking to residents about the funding, many said they welcomed the investment, particularly given the state of local NHS buildings. However, several also expressed concern over how the money would be used.
One local resident said: “It’s not just about how much money the NHS gets, it’s about how it’s spent. We’ve seen too much wasted in the past.”
Another added: “We need sensible, experienced people within the hospital trust and NHS making the right decisions, someone on the ground not a paper pusher on a large salary. The funding is badly needed, but it has to be used wisely this time because we can't just blame the Conservatives.”
The local investment forms part of a wider national effort to reduce hospital repair backlogs across England and improve patient care. Mr Waugh confirmed the announcement had been made official in a letter from the health minister earlier in the day.
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