James Naish, MP for Rushcliffe, has welcomed two new investments at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham, saying it forms part of a broader package of NHS infrastructure investments which are “essential” for turning around patient experiences.
Up to £20 million of enabling works are now underway at QMC, part of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, to expand Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) capacity. The expansion is intended to treat more patients without unnecessary admission, easing pressure on A&E.
At the same time, the government has confirmed funding for the expansion of QMC’s urgent treatment centres as part of a £215.5 million package for targeted support around the country. Together, these measures are intended to increase capacity, improve patient flow and ensure patients are treated in the right place first time, easing pressure on QMC’s A&E teams.
James Naish, Rushcliffe’s MP, joined a debate on NHS Capital Spending in parliament in March, where he contributed three times to highlight the need for the NHS’s primary and secondary care estate to be upgraded. He told the minister that after three critical incidents in 2025/26, there was “a reputational risk to the NHS when such incidents are being declared because of physical capacity issues”.
He used the same debate to raise the case of East Leake Health Centre, a 1960s building where clinical rooms are “out of action” due to ongoing issues with the building’s roof. Although there are no immediate plans for East Leake, other health facilities in Rushcliffe are seeing investment, with a £2 million expansion underway in Gamston and planning permission submitted for a larger surgery at Radcliffe-on-Trent.
James Naish, MP for Rushcliffe, said:
“I am really pleased that we are seeing proper investment going into the secondary care estate here in Nottinghamshire. It has been clear for many years that the A&E at QMC simply isn’t big enough, and staff have been stopped from doing their very important work by the building they work in.
“Nottinghamshire MPs have had very constructive conversations with the Chief Executive and his team over recent months as critical incidents have unfolded, and I’m pleased to see a combination of local and national funds coming together to hopefully bring corridor care to an end.”
Nottingham will also benefit from a new £40 million Community Diagnostic Centre which is under construction on the site of the former Broadmarsh Shopping Centre, with £10.5 million set aside for extra MRI and CT scanners. Together with investments in the primary care estate, these interventions are intended to bring care closer to communities and away from major hospitals.
James Naish MP concluded:
“Investment and reconfiguration at the Queen’s Medical Centre are long overdue. Changes are essential if we want to continue the downward trajectory on waiting lists and waiting times in A&E, so I’m looking forward to seeing the delivery of these projects over the next few months.
“They should make a genuine difference to patients from Rushcliffe who rely on these services and want to be seen quicker, in the right place, and by staff who have the capacity to deliver high-quality care.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- The government’s confirmed funding for an expanded Urgent Treatment Centre at QMC can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-experts-deployed-to-tackle-corridor-care
