The purpose of the visit was to understand some of the challenges facing colleagues at Doncaster Royal Infirmary as a result of its aging infrastructure, as well as recent investments.
Over the past few years, the Trust has received more than £30 million to develop cancer and diagnostic services at Montagu Hospital, as well as begin construction on a state-of-the-art theatre facility. Additionally, works to the tune of £20 million are currently underway at Bassetlaw Hospital to enhance the site’s Emergency Department – investment which will see the return of 24/7 urgent and emergency paediatric care for the first time since 2017.
The visit was led by Richard Parker OBE, Chief Executive of the Trust, and accompanied by Rosie Winterton, MP for Doncaster Central, Nick Fletcher, MP for Don Valley, Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, alongside senior colleagues at NHS South Yorkshire and Doncaster Council.
The tour began at the site’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital, which has recently undergone a £12.4 million expansion following a flood in 2021, and moved on to the undercroft area of the site, which dates back to the early 20th century which houses much of the site’s heating and electrical infrastructure.
The visit aimed to highlight the age and increasing strain on facilities as the city continues to grow, and with it patient demand.
Speaking about the visit, Richard said: “I want to thank Lord Markham for his time today to witness the realities of our aging infrastructure and the challenges we encounter daily. I also want to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the colleagues within our Estates and Facilities department, who work tirelessly year-round to ensure that, despite the aging infrastructure, our site remains safe and fully operational for the well-being of our patients.”
Health Minister, Lord Markham said: “We are committed to improving health infrastructure across the country and this week I visited Doncaster Royal Infirmary to tour the hospital, including their new modular inpatient ward and theatre block.
“We discussed some of the challenges facing the trust, as well as some of the recent investments announced by the government. This includes over £21 million for estate works to boost elective recovery, and £9.4 million in 2020/21 to tackle the most urgent maintenance issues.
“The government recently announced a new, rolling programme of investment in new health capital infrastructure to deliver new hospitals up to 2030 and beyond, and trusts will be made aware when and how further projects will be invited to join the programme.”
Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive of NHS South Yorkshire, said: “We welcome Lord Markham’s visit to Doncaster Royal Infirmary and his interest in understanding the challenges posed by the aging infrastructure at the hospital. I commend the efforts of colleagues at DBTH in providing exceptional care despite the constraints they face. We look forward to working with the Trust and local partners to develop a way forward.”
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of Yorkshire’s leading acute trusts, serving a population of more than 420,000 across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, and the surrounding areas. The Trust provides a wide range of hospital-based services, including emergency and critical care, maternity, cancer, surgical, and medical specialties.
