Stafford Hospital A&E to double in size with £150m injection
Stafford Hospital's Accident and Emergency will double in size to reduce overcrowding as part of a £150 million cash injection – but it will remain open for only 14 hours a day and is not expecting to treat any extra patients.
Stafford will also get a new MRI scanner and a possible new eye surgery unit and frail elderly assessment service.
Outpatient facilities will be expanded, wards will be refurbished and a new theatre opened.
Bosses insist the majority of patients will still be treated at Stafford despite the loss of major services such as children's and urgent care departments. They say nine out of 10 patients will still be seen at the Weston Road hospital.
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust will be dissolved on November 1 and replaced by a new trust named the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.
Stafford will be known as the County Hospital, meaning the names Stafford and Staffordshire will disappear.
Bosses previously said the names had been tainted following the Stafford Hospital scandal and led to clinical staff not wanting to work in the region.
There will be £100m invested at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke and £50m will be spent on moving services from Stafford and Cannock to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
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Staffordshire County Council's leader Philip Atkins welcomed the fresh investment to improve hospital facilities.
He said: "As a county council we are committed to working with partners to ensure residents in Staffordshire receive the highest level of care both in their homes and in hospital.
"The way forward now is for the County Hospital to become known as a beacon for delivering quality care for residents as part of a very different, positive story of improving healthcare across the county."
It was confirmed during the briefing yesterday that obstetrics will move from Stafford to Stoke in January and paediatrics will move in March.
See also: 1,000 sign up to keep Stafford's maternity unit.
Consultant-led maternity services will move on a temporary basis. If they stay in Stoke will depend on a national review of maternity services being carried out by NHS England.
Mark Hackett, chief executive designate of the new trust, added: "
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to rejuvenate our hospitals. The overall investment is double what the TSAs said would be needed. The extra investment is a strong commitment to ensure future stability."
See also: Striking ambulance crew leave picket line to attend emergency call.
