After my question in the Chamber to the Prime Minister regarding the approved planning permission of the new state-of-the-art Hillingdon Hospital, I asked if he would agree with me that it will uplift the health benefits of the residents of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
I was delighted that he agreed, and confirmed there, and then, that the Secretary of State for Health will come and visit and see it for herself!
He was not wrong, and as the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has a record of doing - he delivered on his promise.
It was an absolute pleasure, only a few weeks after my question, to welcome the Secretary of State for Health, Victoria Atkins MP to Hillingdon Hospital, where we met the Hospital's redevelopment team.
The quick turn around from asking the question in Parliament, to being on site in Uxbridge & South Ruislip only a few weeks later, showcases how serious the Conservative Government is to build 40 new hospitals nationally to help make our NHS fit for the future.
The Secretary of State for Health and I were briefed by the Hospital's redevelopment team on the progress of the New Hillingdon Hospital, and were shown a video to see the whole site plan in action. The enthusiasm the staff and I share for the New Hillingdon Hospital is the foundation for our great continued relationship as the development progresses.
Both Victoria Atkins MP and I also gained an insight from the team, and patients, on why there needs to be such a big redevelopment. Some of these reasons involved the building dating back to the World War, which comes with flooding hazards due to the building being so old. I saw this for myself.
We then listened and engaged in a wider discussion about key dependencies that are vital in order to get the Hospital delivered by 2030. These key dependencies involve an agreement of budget and funding for the summer of this year, and the contractor mobilised for summer of next year for the procurement to go-ahead later in 2025.
The Secretary of State for Health agreed on why the funding is so important, and will assess how much Hillingdon Hospital will receive when the budget is announced.
The meeting was concluded with a tour of the hospital, as well as visiting the wards and talking to patients and residents.
It makes me really pleased to work alongside the Secretary of State for Health, and the redevelopment team in Hillingdon Hospital to build a New Hillingdon Hospital in my constituency, but especially because it was the hospital I was born in, and has helped myself, my friends and family over the years.
Please do keep updated for further updates in due course.
