A new dawn for Harlow’s Princess Alexandra Hospital

We are lucky to have world class NHS staff working at Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH). However, the current hospital is not fit for purpose and our community and those staff deserve a brand new hospital. Since 2013, I have led the campaign in Parliament for our new hospital. I have asked dozens of questions in Parliament, shown both the Health Secretary and the Prime Minister around PAH, secured five parliamentary debates, tabled numerous House of Commons Motions and lobbied Ministers constantly for a new Harlow hospital.

In 2019, I secured hundreds of millions to deliver a brand new hospital for our town. In October 2020, the Prime Minister confirmed this funding and work on delivering the new hospital began. This commitment was once again reaffirmed by the Government in the Levelling Up White Paper, stating that “a new integrated, high-tech healthcare campus to replace the ageing Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow” will be built.

A new hospital for Harlow 

After a decade of lobbying and a pledge at the last General Election, the Government confirmed on 25th May 2023 that Harlow’s new hospital will open in 2028, with construction starting in 2025.

The new high-tech health campus, backed by hundreds of millions of Government investment, will be constructed using the latest technologies to ensure that Harlow has one of the best new hospitals in the country. 

It is an historic day for Harlow as our new hospital is confirmed with its start date and the construction programme. I have always pledged to protect our NHS and have campaigned tirelessly in Parliament for over a decade to secure a new Harlow hospital. At the 2019 General Election, I pledged that Harlow would have a new hospital and today, the Government has confirmed the funding, the construction start date and the construction method. 

I have nothing but huge admiration for every member of staff who works at PAH: the hospital leadership, consultants, doctors, nurses, midwives, porters, cleaners, admin and ancillary staff who work tirelessly to care for our town. I am so pleased that their endless hard work has paid off and we will see a new state-of-the-art hospital health campus in our town to support their work in just a few years time.

My record on PAH

Since I was elected in 2010, I have not only campaigned for a new Harlow hospital, but I have also worked hard to secure urgent funding to improve services and upgrade our existing hospital. Since 2019, 170 new nurses and 53 new doctors have joined PAH to deliver world class healthcare.

I have also secured over £12 million funding for PAH, including:

  • £400,000 upgrade to A&E.
  • £2 million for urgent infrastructure repairs.
  • £1 million upgrade to the eye clinic.
  • £9.5 million for more beds.
  • New kidney dialysis unit.
  • New children’s A&E centre.
  • Upgraded the award winning Maternity unit.
  • New short stay assessment centre.

In Parliament

Debates

  • In October 2017, I secured a Westminster Hall Debate on Harlow’s new hospital where I raised the deteriorating infrastructure at Princess Alexandra Hospital and the urgent need to make capital investment to ensure local people can access outstanding health care. 
  • In June 2018, I led an Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons Chamber, calling for a new hospital in Harlow that would bring together A&E services, GP provision, social care, physiotherapy and a new ambulance hub in state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities.
  • In November 2018, I led a further debate in the House of Commons about healthcare in Essex, calling for a new hospital because the present site serves over 350,000 people and is no longer able to cope under the pressure of an influx of patients. 
  • In February 2019, I secured a debate in Westminster Hall on NHS funding in Essex, reiterating my calls for a high-tech and all-encompassing healthcare campus in Harlow. 
  • In September 2019, opened a debate on funding for health services, noting that many of our NHS hospitals are no longer fit for the 21st century. Sadly, this includes Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.

Questions

Since 2013, I have asked over 45 questions in the House of Commons, seeking answers from Ministers as to when Harlow’s new hospital will be built and securing millions of pounds of urgent funding to ensure the existing hospital is able to offer the very best care in the meantime. Some of my most recent questions can be found below:

You can find out more and keep up-to-date with the development of the new Princess Alexandra Hospital on their website - https://newpah.org/