Dr Neil Hudson, Member of Parliament for Epping Forest, has visited The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow. During the visit, Dr Hudson toured several key departments and met with senior clinicians and specialist nurses. He also met with members of the hospital’s leadership team to discuss the urgent progress needed on the hospital’s long-awaited redevelopment.
Dr Hudson praised the exceptional innovation and commitment shown by staff, highlighting the need for the Government’s New Hospital Programme to accelerate the redevelopment of the Harlow site. Although The Princess Alexandra Hospital remains designated within Phase 2 of the national programme, growing pressure on services makes the case for moving forward stronger than ever.
In the Emergency Department, Dr Hudson learned about the introduction of GP triage at the front door, with GPs streaming patients that come into the Emergency Department to help reduce waiting times for patients. He also visited the Older People’s Assessment and Liaison (OPAL) Unit, meeting with staff who deliver comprehensive care for older patients. At the hospital pharmacy, Dr Hudson was shown the new automated dispensing robot, an innovative investment which increases the speed and accuracy of dispensing medicines, making delivery of treatments quicker and reducing the risk of errors.
Dr Hudson commended the professionalism and compassion of hospital staff, emphasising that their dedication and progress deserve to be matched by modern, purpose-built facilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to securing the investment The Princess Alexandra Hospital urgently needs to deliver care in a setting that reflects the excellence of its workforce. Dr Hudson has consistently championed the redevelopment of both The Princess Alexandra and Whipps Cross Hospitals, and earlier this year, met with Minister of State for Secondary Care, Karin Smyth MP, to press for accelerated progress and interim funding support.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, said:
“It was a real privilege to meet the dedicated staff at The Princess Alexandra Hospital and to see first-hand the exceptional care they provide to patients, including many of my constituents in Epping Forest.
“From the GP-led triage system in the Emergency Department to the specialist work of the OPAL Unit and the hospital’s new pharmacy robot, the team is embracing innovation and improving outcomes despite working in outdated facilities.
“The built environment must now match the excellence of its staff and technology. Labour must keep their promises and, accordingly, redevelopment of The Princess Alexandra Hospital must be accelerated so both patients and staff can benefit from modern, purpose-designed surroundings.”
Thom Lafferty, Chief Executive at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT), said:
“We were proud to welcome Dr Neil Hudson MP to our Emergency Department, Older People’s Assessment and Liaison (OPAL) Unit, and to see our new pharmacy robot, demonstrating our strong focus on improving patient care and experiences.
“Our new hospital will be part of the wider growth and regeneration agenda for Harlow and its neighbouring communities. With the start of construction delayed until 2032, our ageing hospital estate continues to face significant and ongoing problems. We need significant additional funding of around £120 million to maintain our estate ahead of the new hospital.
“We are working with the system and NHS England colleagues to ensure we can maintain safe and effective facilities for our patients and staff across our current sites in the meantime.”
Pictured: Dr Neil Hudson MP with Thom Lafferty (Chief Executive of PAHT) and Jo Ward (Interim Chief Nurse).
