Lib Dems warn of £54 million repair bill at Shropshire hospitals
North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has warned that the county's hospitals are in a 'chronic state of disrepair' as figures reveal they need more than £54m of repairs.
More than £54 million is needed to repair crumbling buildings and clear the maintenance backlog at Shropshire’s hospitals, according to new analysis by the Liberal Democrats.
The analysis revealed hospitals in the county are facing a repair bill of £54.7m, with two thirds of this taken up by the Shropshire's two emergency hospitals.
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital has £23.4m worth of outstanding repairs and Princess Royal Hospital needs £15.7 million of work. Meanwhile, the Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen is waiting on £11.95m of repairs.
There is £3.6m of work outstanding across Shropshire Community Health Trust’s sites, which include Whitchurch Hospital and Bridgnorth Hospital.
Last week's Autumn Statement revealed cuts to the Department for Health’s capital spending budget next year, which is used for buildings, facilities, and infrastructure.
Now, the Lib Dem MP for North Shropshire is calling on the Government to halt their plans, while the Lib Dems propose urgent investment into hospital buildings.
MP Helen Morgan said: “Just like waiting times, the repair bill for our crumbling hospitals is getting bigger and bigger. Unsurprisingly, people are worried about the conditions their loved ones are being treated in.
“Now the Government wants to make patients and staff pay for their economic mess and are cutting the budget to make essential repairs. Shropshire deserves better.
“The chronic state of disrepair in our local hospitals is a scandal in itself. But it is also a symptom of the Conservative government’s dire mismanagement of our NHS.
“People in North Shropshire are fed up of waiting hours for an ambulance and months for a hospital referral only to then be seen in an outdated and decaying building.
“The fault lies squarely at the feet of Conservative ministers. It is their inaction and disinterest in the health service which has led us to this disastrous point.
“Instead of inflicting more damaging and dangerous cuts, the Government should lay out a plan to recruit the staff we need to get these repairs done.”
