Hospital gets go-ahead to spend £15 million

The new look package comes in the form of a £9 million project paid for from the NHS and £6 million worth of work funded through Burnley Health Care Trust.

Work is expected to start during the summer and will be carried out over the next four years.

The cash boost for the local health service was coupled with announcement from Trust chief executive David Chew that hospital staff are now working on plans to create an entirely new medicine for the elderly unit and intend to have the facts and figures on how much it will cost by the end of this year.

One of the biggest changes at the hospital will benefit patients needing surgery. There will be two new theatres and the theatre complex will be completely refurbished.

More patients will have day beds and will have their operations in a theatre dedicated to their care. There will also be improvements to the accommodation provided for in-patients throughout the hospital.

Care in the community for patients needing mental health services is high on the list and people visiting Burnley General as out-patients will also get a better deal.

Mr Chew said the hospital was living through an exciting time in its development, with the next four years promising big improvements in both the facilities and services provided at the General.

He said: "The road to commencing the Phase IV development has been long and hard.

"We are particularly pleased with this announcement because it means at long last we can start work.

"Full credit to the project team led by our director of facilities Geoffrey Summers for its perseverance in steering the proposal through at a time of considerable change in the way the NHS Executive releases funding for projects.

"Now we can get on with the real task of improving our facilities for the community in East Lancashire."

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