Burnham-On-Sea Hospital is among three Somerset hospitals that have been allocated a total of £8,567,000 by the Department of Health to fund vital repairs to their buildings.
On Friday (May 30th), it was announced that Government Estate Safety Funds have been allocated to Musgrove Park Hospital, Yeovil District Hospital, and Burnham-On-Sea Community Hospital.
They are three of 42 hospitals, mental health units, and ambulance sites in the South West receiving a total £82 million — to be used towards “improvements to water systems, energy systems, electrical systems and external and internal building fabric and fixtures plus fire safety works.”
The urgent work at Musgrove, Yeovil, and Burnham-On-Sea is to be finished by April 2026, the Department of Health says.
It adds that the first upgrades to the South West’s hospitals are expected to begin this summer.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said on Friday: “A decade and a half of underinvestment left hospitals crumbling, with burst pipes flooding emergency departments, faulty electrical systems shutting down operating theatres, and mothers giving birth in outdated facilities that lack basic dignity.”
“We are on a mission to rebuild our NHS through investment and modernisation.”
“Patients and staff deserve to be in buildings that are safe, comfortable and fit for purpose. Through our Plan for Change, we will make our NHS fit for the future.”
The Government adds that fixing the backlog of maintenance at NHS hospitals is hoped to help prevent cancellations, with services disrupted over 4,000 times across England in 2023/24 due to issues with poor quality buildings.
Simon Corben, Director and Head of Profession for NHS Estates and Facilities at NHS England, adds: “I welcome this funding as a long-overdue step toward tackling the unacceptable state of parts of the NHS estate. Too many buildings have been allowed to fall into disrepair, putting patient safety and staff working conditions at risk.”
“It is now vital that NHS England and local leaders deliver – every pound must be spent wisely, with clear accountability and a laser focus on improving frontline care.”
The government says it delivered over 3 million additional NHS appointments since June 2024, exceeding its 2 million target. Additionally, over 1,000 GP surgeries are being modernised to enable 8.3 million more appointments annually.
New technology is being invested in, including 13 DEXA scanners delivering 29,000 extra bone scans and £70m in radiotherapy machines that are projected to deliver up to 27,500 additional treatments per year by March 2027, the Department of Health states.
