West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed the backing offered by Health and Social Care Secretary Matthew Hancock during a visit to Worcestershire Royal Hospital. And Harriett repeated her support for the new management team which is working to make significant improvements across the three acute hospitals following the latest Care Quality Commission inspection in January. The Health and Social Care Secretary met with the new hospital team yesterday (March 7) to see recent improvements at the city hospital including the improved Emergency Department and the new bridge linking the main hospital to the Aconbury building. The Government has added an extra £29 million to the local Trust’s budget to add capacity and improve services at the three hospitals and Harriett wrote to Matthew Hancock regarding the challenges facing the new management team last month. Harriett commented: “I recently wrote to the Health and Social Care Secretary after a meeting with the new management team and I am delighted that he decided to make a visit in person to see some of the recent improvement at our busy Worcester hospital. “The team faces continuing challenges both with winter pressures and with waiting times for ambulances dropping off patients at A&E but I was pleased that the Minister continues to offer his support to deliver important improvements. “At a national level, the Government’s long term plan for the NHS will see an extra £20 billion a year for the next five years and I am also pleased that the local Trust should be able to access a £1 billion fund to help with the Trust’s current financial over-spend. “Each CQC report remarks about the high quality of care at our local hospitals but the management team must continue to deliver the long term improvement plan to enable the best possible care for us and our loved one.”