Today the Government has announced £41.7m to improve paediatric cardiac care in our region as part of a £1.8bn package of extra NHS investment.
The money will go to the specialist facilities in Newcastle that provide this level of care to children across the North East.
Over the next five years the NHS budget is rising to £148bn/year - 148 thousand million pounds. It’s an investment on behalf of all of us, and as our national finances continue to recover it’s allowing us to spend on our priorities rather than debt interest.
I’m pictured on my visit to James Cook A&E earlier this year. It was a visit that brought it home to me afresh just how much we owe our NHS staff and today’s announcement will allow them to deliver more life-saving care