Following a joint funding bid from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, to share some of the admin costs of a full bid, for a new hospital there have been some unhelpful rumours that there would be one super hospital built between Lancaster and Preston.
This was never the plan and David Morris MP has submitted a written question to the Department of Health to confirm that a bid for a single site hospital has never been submitted.
David Morris MP asked:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust has submitted plans for a new single site hospital to his Department.
Health Minister Ed Argar MP responded:
The Department has provided both the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust with £3.7 million to develop plans for improving facilities at each Trust. The Trust has not submitted any formal plans for a single site hospital to the Department.
David Morris MP
‘While all options had to be explored, I am pleased that the Health Minister Ed Argar was able to confirm that the joint bid for scoping funding did not mean that there would be one super hospital shared between Lancaster and Preston. I look forward to seeing the plans for a new hospital building at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary to complement and improve the already fantastic services staff provide in Lancaster’
