Two new local hospital schemes have been given the go-ahead, after initially being placed into doubt by the Government, following pressure from Mid Bedfordshire MP Blake Stephenson.
People from across the Mid Bedfordshire constituency benefit from hospitals in both nearby Milton Keynes and Cambridge so Blake has been pushing Ministers to ensure the schemes continued.
The previous Conservative Government had announced a new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, as well as a new Women and Children's Hospital for Milton Keynes.
But when the Labour Government was elected in July, the schemes were halted after Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced a review of the new hospitals programme.
In September, local MP Blake spoke in Parliament to say that he 'welcomed the fact that the previous Government had committed to the inclusion of the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and the Milton Keynes Women and Children’s Hospital in the new hospitals programme, and I urge the current Government to confirm that they will proceed with that investment.'
Yesterday (20th January), in a win for Blake Stephenson MP, the Government announced construction on Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital will begin in 2025/26 and Milton Keynes Women and Children's Hospital will start in 2026/27.
Blake Stephenson, the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, said: "I've spoken so much about the importance of investing in healthcare infrastructure since my election last year and I'm relieved that the Government has decided to continue with the previous Government's plans to build new hospitals in nearby Cambridge and Milton Keynes.
"These hospitals will be a huge benefit to so many people across Mid Bedfordshire and I will continue to hold the Government to account on these projects and push against anymore setbacks, alongside my ongoing campaign to deliver the long overdue GP surgery for Wixams."
