MONTHS of succesful lobbying have paid off with the news of a £211 million hospital investment boost for St Helens and Knowsley.

And MP Dave Watts has described the announcement as the biggest boost in health care since the creation of the National Health service.

The St Helens North MP said: "I am delighted that St Helens and Newton people can now look forward to having some of the finest health service facilities in the country.

"The Secretary of State for Health announced last Thursday that St Helens and Knowsley Health Authority had been successful with a massive £211 million bid to rebuild the Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospital sites.

"St Helens and Knowsley MPs had been lobbying for months to make sure that the bid was successful.

"The announcement means resources for new building and more beds, a diagnostic and treatment centre and intermediate care centres in St Helens and Newton".

And he added: "This investment will enable the Trust to replace the old Victorian building at St Helens, Whiston and Newton with state-of-the-art buildings and facilities.

"This announcement ends the years of neglect of health services in St Helens and will provide us with the modern health facilities needed for the 21st century".

Tony Whitfield, Deputy Chief Executive of St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust and Joyce Wilcock, Nurse Executive, said in a joint statement: "We are jubilant at the news. This represents the most significant investment ever in healthcare for the people of St Helens and Knowsley. We have a lot of old facilities operating at full stretch which will now be replaced."