Blackpool Victoria Hospital to get £1.43m to carry out essential repairs, upgrades and cut waiting times

Patients across Blackpool are set to benefit from a major investment in hospital infrastructure, as the Government begins to tackle the long-standing maintenance backlog in the NHS.

Under the Government’s Plan for Change, Blackpool Victoria Hospital will receive vital funding to carry out essential repairs and upgrades – improving care, cutting delays, and preventing cancelled appointments and operations.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will receive £1.43 million for improvements including roof and structural works, electrical and energy system upgrades, lift replacements, and a new nurse call system.

The funding boost is part of a £750 million national package to upgrade over 400 NHS sites.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb welcomed the cash injection, calling the funding vital for patients and staff in Blackpool.

He said: “This is very welcome news for patients at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, and another step forward in this Labour Government’s mission to fix the dire state of our NHS infrastructure. Years of Conservative neglect left our hospitals crumbling, but Labour is getting on with the job of rebuilding services people can rely on.

“We promised to turn the NHS around in Blackpool South, and we’re delivering. With more appointments, more staff, and now critical maintenance funding, we are lifting our NHS off its knees and making it fit for the future. Lots done – and lots more to do.”

Across the country, poor building conditions disrupted NHS services more than 4,000 times last year. Labour’s investment will help prevent these kinds of delays by modernising key facilities – especially in communities like Blackpool South that have been hardest hit by underfunding.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “A decade and a half of underinvestment left hospitals in crisis. Burst pipes flooding A&Es, operating theatres shut down due to faulty electrics, and maternity wards that no longer meet basic standards.

“We are rebuilding our NHS through investment and modernisation. Through our Plan for Change, we’re making sure patients and staff in places like Blackpool have the safe, modern, and dignified facilities they deserve.”

This investment forms part of the £26 billion secured for the NHS in last year’s Autumn Budget under the Labour Government.