Farron: £12 million of winter NHS funding helps Morecambe Bay

Tim Farron has welcomed the news that over £12 million of extra winter NHS funding has paid for 77 staff and 39 beds.

Clinical Commissioning Groups head the new System of Resilience Groups (SRG) with the aim of cutting waiting lists and easing winter pressures. In our area the Department of Health gave £12.2 million to South Cumbria SRG and North Lancashire SRG. With that funding they have invested in extra services and staff, including:

• 6 doctors;
• 24 nurses;
• 47 hospital and community staff;
• 39 beds

Since 2010, we have also seen a major staffing increase at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust. We have seen 34 new hospital doctors and 129 new nurses, of which 3 are extra midwives. The 12 million funding is in recognition that there are thousands of extra deaths in the winter as a result of cold weather and associated health problems. Heart attacks, stroke and respiratory problems rise in the cold weather and the NHS comes under increased pressure from people getting flu, people injuring themselves through falls or slips and other health problems associated with colder weather, such as the norovirus vomiting bug.

Tim said: "This extra funding and staff will make a big difference to patients and their families. I have been pressing for more funding for health services in Morecambe Bay and it good to see the funding we helped secure is being spent on the right things. But this funding is short term, we need a longer and more sustainable solution.

"I will keep working with politicians of all parties around the Bay to back our hospitals and support the fantastic doctors, nurses and staff who work tirelessly to make a difference for local people."