Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase NHS capacity at the (a) Royal Stoke University Hospital and (b) Haywood Walk-In Centre in Stoke-on-Trent for the winter 2020-21.

Guidance has already been issued to the National Health Service on the process of starting to restore urgent non-COVID-19 services in a safe way, whilst ensuring surge capacity can be stood up again should it be needed. In July, the Prime Minister announced £3 billion to support NHS capacity this winter. In addition to this, in August a further £300 million of capital funding was announced to upgrade accident and emergency (A&E) departments across the country to help prepare the NHS for winter.

At Royal Stoke University Hospital, plans to increase capacity include investment to support the creation of additional critical care capacity and to support Infection Prevention and Control isolation capacity on COVID-19/flu wards at Royal Stoke.

Work is also underway to encourage use of the Haywood Walk-In Centre for minor injuries, and to establish a sub-acute unit to support ‘medically fit’ patients who are awaiting placements in order to free-up assessment and acute beds at Royal Stoke. Staffing will be increased in response to predicted surges throughout the winter period.