Education Secretary Justine Greening today announced what she described as “the biggest improvement in the school funding system for well over a decade” in a statement to the House of Commons. She said that £1.3 billion would be added to the core schools

Mid Worcestershire MP Nigel Huddleston today welcomed the announcement that the Government would be directing £29 million of funding to Worcestershire hospitals, including the Alexandra and the Worcestershire Royal Hospital. The funding marks the biggest capital investment in the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust since the Worcestershire Royal Hospital opened in 2002.

At the Alexandra, the funding is set to improve the operating theatres so that the hospital can be developed into a centre of excellence for planned surgery, as well as provide a new children’s outpatient department, women’s centre and improved endoscopy facilities. At the Worcestershire Royal, the funding will provide 81 new general and acute beds and increase car parking capacity by 140 spaces.

Nigel Huddleston, along with other Worcestershire MPs, has met with Ministers at the Department of Health a number of times since the Trust first went into special measures in December 2015 to lobby for the acceptance of the £29 million bid. This includes two recent meetings with Philip Dunne and Jeremy Hunt.

Speaking after the announcement, Mr Huddleston commented, “this is the vital news that we have been waiting for and marks a significant milestone in the Worcestershire Acute Trust’s progress away from special measures”.