In recent weeks there have been some very welcome funding announcements for local A&Es, which will help them to prepare for winter.

First, in September the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced that St Peter’s hospital in Chertsey has been allocated £6 million for an expanded emergency department and urgent treatment centre. While St Peter’s is just outside Elmbridge, it’s widely used by local residents, so this is great news for the borough.

This funding boost will help to ensure that, ahead of winter, A&Es have the resources they need to treat patients, manage patient flow and improve infection control.

Second, over the summer DHSC also allocated Kingston Hospital £790,000 to upgrade its A&E facilities. The government has now invested £450m to upgrade A&Es in England ahead of winter.

These allocations are good news for local residents. They mean that both of our local A&Es, St Peter’s and Kingston, will have the extra investment required to deal with the additional pressures that come with the winter months.