KGH 'could miss target redevelopment start date' unless cash arrives soon

Kettering General Hospital could miss its target redevelopment start date of 2023 unless the Government stumps up cash it promised soon, the town's MP has warned.

The Rothwell Road hospital was awarded £46m in 2019 for a new urgent care hub and £350m for a major redevelopment, and had been told they could merge the two pots of cash avoid any delays.

But more than two years after it was announced the hospital trust is yet to receive the £46m - and Kettering MP Philip Hollobone has urged the Government to fulfil its promise.

Speaking in Westminster Hall yesterday (Wednesday), the Conservative warned: "Sixty per cent of the hospital estate is rated as either poor or bad. Local people know that this investment is needed. The Government have also accepted that the investment is needed.

"What we need now is the cash to make sure that the works can start on time in 2023."

KGH's existing programme budgets run out in March and, at present, the hospital does not have access to promised funds.

Mr Hollobone said the hospital needs the money so that initial enabling works can continue - covering the reprovisioning of car parking, clinical and office spaces to create construction space for the redevelopment itself, as well as road and utility diversions and site clearance - and that without the money they'd have to stop.

But Health Minister Edward Argar said the Government is waiting on hospital bosses to submit a fresh business case for the enabling works and said the ball was in KGH's court.

We asked KGH whether a fresh business case had been submitted to the Government. A spokesman said they wouldn't comment on the Parliamentary date but that they hope to start work in late 2023.

The parliamentary debate also heard that the hospital is yet to receive feedback on its strategic outline case for the overall redevelopment project which it submitted last year. It needs the feedback to inform its outline business case, which it hopes to submit in May, feedback from which would then inform its final business case. Mr Hollobone said that an extended approval process would mean a hold up to substantial on-site development.

He said: "The hospital is straining at the leash to get the redevelopment project under way."

Mr Argar said things have largely not progressed since 2019 because the trust has changed its plans.

He added that his officials are 'nudging' the trust to submit proposals and a business case for the enabling works.

He said: "At the moment, if I may put it this way, the ball is in the trust’s court, for it to send its proposal and business case over. However, my commitment is that as soon as the trust does so, I will task officials with considering them as swiftly as possible."