The developer has had initial discussions with Canterbury City Council, and these have been outlined to the NHS. The Council will now consider the proposal.
I welcome this offer and the work Canterbury City Council is doing towards a new hospital for this area. I’ve been pushing for plan and it’s really good to see the city council, the NHS and a developer working together now to make this happen.
In my conversations with the Government about how we might fund a new hospital, it's been made clear to me that a significant local contribution towards the costs is vital, so this could be a really good start.
I want excellent healthcare for my constituents in East Kent. The best way to get that is with an outstanding local hospital. Doctors at a Faversham Health Matters meeting last Friday said that having a specialist hospital at Canterbury – at the centre of East Kent – would be much the best answer for patients and I'll be doing all I can to make it happen. The question is how we fund it, and this proposal could make all the difference.
I have asked Health Minister, Philip Dunne, for a meeting to formally discuss this offer and how we might turn the dream of a new hospital into a reality.
Last week I called a House of Commons debate about the future of Kent & Canterbury Hospital, and was pleased to have the support of campaigners from Concern for Health in East Kent.
