On Monday 20 May, Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health officially opened Croydon University Hospital’s new Accident and Emergency ward.
I joined the Secretary of State along with local councillors Tim Pollard and Margaret Bird.
The new department was designed by clinicians, meaning that the department has a focus on the needs of patients and staff, enabling faster treatment.
It is also a third bigger than the previous A&E department, allowing it to see far more patients. Previously Croydon’s A&E was running 91% capacity, above the safe limit of 85%.
The new A&E has a much larger capacity than current demand levels, so it is future proofed for the rising population levels that Croydon faces.
Another huge improvement is in the privacy levels for patients. Patients can now expect to be treated in their own treatment rooms, rather than in a curtained cubicle.
There is also a separate children’s area for under 14s. This provides a child friendly and private environment that I know many parents will appreciate. A separate waiting area has also been created for adolescents, which will provide them with a degree of privacy while they wait to receive treatment.
However, the local NHS still recommend that residents attend Purley War Memorial Hospital’s walk-in appointment service for non-emergencies. Following my campaign, this is open 8am-8pm 365 days a year, rather than just being open in the afternoons. The NHS also encourages non-emergency patients to phone 111 for medical advice.
The new A&E department is a great improvement for our local NHS services. The NHS is one of the best things about our country, and was recently given a national funding boost of £394 million a week by the Government. I hope to see these investments continue to be spent well and will do everything I can to help improve our local healthcare.
This extra investment completely puts the lie to Labour’s claim that the NHS is being underfunded. The funding for the new A&E was first agreed when I met with the former Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt in 2015. I would like to thank both Jeremy and Matt for their commitment to local NHS facilities.
Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said: “Chris has campaigned so hard for this new A&E, it’s great to see it finally open. It’s clear listening to people, the positive improvement it’s going to make, so thank you to Chris for all the campaigning he’s done on it.
“It also shows that the extra £20bn we’re putting into the NHS is delivering improvements – like this for the people of Croydon. I care deeply about the NHS, we care deeply about the NHS, and we’re making sure that it’s there for all the people of Croydon, as with the whole of the rest of the country.”
