MP meets Minister and Health Trust officials on community hospital future

Brooks Newmark today met with the Health Minister, Andy Burnham MP, together with David Bullock and Andrew Pike from Mid Essex Hospitals Trust, to discuss the future of the Trust's PFI project. Brooks Newmark today met with the Health Minister, Andy Burnham MP, together with David Bullock and Andrew Pike from Mid Essex Hospitals Trust, to discuss the future of the Trust's PFI project.

Commenting after the meeting Brooks said, "I am very grateful to the Minister for agreeing to meet with us and for giving us a generous amount of time in which to discuss the benefits of the PFI scheme and its importance for raising the quality of patient care in mid Essex.

"As we already know, the new Braintree community hospital is wrapped up in the larger Broomfield Hospital PFI project and that is where progress must first be made.

"Our meeting had a very positive outcome, with the Minister setting out a clear timetable for action to get the project off the drawing-board. We made significant progress and it is now up to the Mid Essex Hospital Trust to liaise further with the East of England Strategic Health Authority so that we can, hopefully, seek closure on this scheme.

"I am confident that everyone involved has the same goal in mind and will be working hard to try and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.