Proposed £36m expansion of Cannock hospital put forward by hospital bosses
A hospital serving the West Midlands could expand in a £36 million project if the bid is backed by health bosses, it is understood.
Cannock Chase Hospital could be in line for the upgrade as part of plans by Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) bosses.
It is believed the expansion, if backed, would increase its capacity for elective surgery, helping to bring down a Covid-related backlog.
The hospital specialises in routine surgery, serving large parts of the Black Country and Staffordshire – especially Wolverhampton and Walsall.
Professor David Loughton, RWT chief executive, confirmed the bid for central funding had been submitted and said he was “optimistic” it would be backed.
He said Cannock, which is run by RWT, had been used for elective treatment due to it being shielded from emergency pressures as it has no A&E.
He described the move as a boost for people in Wolverhampton, Walsall and South Staffordshire, who are in need of elective treatment.
It is understood Professor Tim Briggs CBE, national director for clinical improvement and elective recovery for NHS England, has visited the hospital as part of the bid.
The proposed expansion comes after Cannock Chase Hospital was named in a survey as the UK’s highest performing hospital for patient satisfaction.
People praised it as a positive environment for surgery and the subsequent recovery.
Professor Loughton added that patients were happy to travel to Cannock for planned surgery, before adding the site was important because it was "completely protected" from the pressures of emergency work due to having no A&E.
