Plans to return services to the Alexandra Hospital have been bolstered after Rachel’s lobbying efforts secured £3 million for the expansion of medical training facilities in Worcestershire.
The key project at the University of Worcester has been given the green light to receive the funding from the Government’s Getting Building Fund.
The £3 million grant will be used to fund the re-development of the University’s Severn campus to enable their future expansion plans to include new medical training facilities.
The re-development of this site will provide much needed practical facilities for the big increase in nursing and other health students at Worcester which the Government announced at the end of July.
Rachel has been working with the MP for Worcester, Robin Walker, to lobby the Government for this funding as part of her on-going efforts to return a maternity and children’s service to the Alex.
Speaking after the announcement, Rachel said:
“I have long acknowledged that a key factor in the return of services to the Alex is staffing. The more healthcare professionals we can train in Worcestershire the more we can retain them to work at our County’s hospitals.
“That’s why I’m delighted the Government has awarded this funding to expand medical training facilities. Myself and Robin Walker MP have been lobbying strongly on this for quite some time as this is a key component to my plans to return services to our town’s hospital. This is a big step forward!”
Professor David Green CBE, the University Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive said:
“We are very grateful to the Worcestershire Local Economic Partnership and HM Government for this positive investment. We are deeply committed to growing and developing the outstanding health workforce that our City and region so badly needs.
“The redevelopment of the former Worcester News building will provide community as well as educational facilities and this will be theme of the development of the Severn Campus which will have inclusion of the local community and well-being at its heart. Much of this work will be permitted development and we will let the contracts as quickly as possible providing much needed construction jobs to help our local citizens and the economy recover from the negative economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Gary Woodman, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:
“We are delighted to have been successful with our Getting Building Fund submission, with numerous projects being funded across the county. The works on the Severn campus to enable the future expansion plans to include new medical training facilities and inclusive sports centre is a key project for the local economy. Medical training and education is a sector that we recognise for future growth and I believe that this project will enable Worcestershire to become a hub for medical, health and well-being science education.”
