Severe sewage floods, overheating theatres, failing roofs and escaping medical gas reads like the unlikely plot of a hospital disaster drama, but is in fact typical of a week at PAH.
In a recent article in the Health Service Journal: Hospital with 600 estate ‘incidents’ demands ‘urgent’ government decision I outline the overwhelming case for a new Princess Alexandra hospital against the backdrop of weekly estate infrastructure failings, many of which directly impact patients.
Our wonderful staff are working extraordinarily hard to maintain the highest quality care despite these poor conditions, but it’s clear the case for our new hospital has never been stronger. As you may know, plans for a new Princess Alexandra Hospital were first accepted onto the New Hospital Programme (NHP) in 2019. Over three years later, we are finally getting close to knowing what the outcome will be, in a decision made ultimately by the Treasury.
We have been working closely with the NHP team over the last two years, who have informed us that we should know what funding we’ll get in early 2023, after which we can proceed to our Outline Business Case. In my next blog, I fully intend to be updating you on the way forward.
More information on the wide-ranging benefits our new hospital will bring to Harlow can be found throughout this website and in this handy brochure.
And if you’d like to hear some of our patients’ views on plans for our new hospital, then take a look at some recent video vox pops on the home page.
On behalf of us all at PAHT, thank you for your patience, and your continued support for our new hospital.
Onwards and upwards to 2023!
HSJ article shared by kind permission from the author.
Michael Meredith
Director of strategy and estates