Banbury MP Victoria Prentis has written a letter of support to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, after Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUHFT) submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Government’s Health Infrastructure Programme (HIP).
The Health Infrastructure Programme has been set up by the Government with a commitment to deliver forty new hospitals by 2030, for which there are eight places remaining.
OUHFT has submitted an EOI for the Horton General Hospital. In totality, the bid proposes the phased redevelopment of the Horton site replacing the current 30,700 sq m building with a new 58,000 sq m complex. The redevelopment would modernise the estate, increase capacity for A&E, inpatients and outpatients services meaning more people can receive care closer to home, improve maternity facilities and mental health provision, and better integrate community-based care.
In her letter Victoria tells the Secretary of State, “it has been clear for a long time now that significant investment is needed to ensure that the Horton is fit for the future.. This EOI sets out a vision which is realistic and achievable within the parameters set out by the HIF.. It is more than a vision; it is a working solution that brings hope and promise to the people of Banbury who have fought so long for their local General Hospital.”
Banbury Conservatives said: “The expression of interest from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to the HIP could mark the start of a new and transformative chapter for our local hospital. We are pleased that the Trust has submitted such an ambitious bid. The Horton means so much to the people of Banbury. As our town grows it is critical that the site, and the services it provides, meet the healthcare needs of local people. We urge the Department of Health and Social Care to approve this bid.”
