COLCHESTER hospital has been handed a £2.8 million boost as it prepares for the cold winter bite.

The cash has been allocated by the Department of Health as part of an injection promised in last month’s Budget which will see acute hospitals across the country handed a share of £337 million to ease pressures over winter.

The announcement was made by minister Philip Dunne during Health Questions yesterday.

Colchester MP Will Quince said the money would go a long way to helping the Turner Road hospital - and especially its A&E unit - to function as demand rises throughout winter.

The Conservative said: “This is a lot of money but at the same time, we know the pressure on our services, particularly if we have a cold winter, is incredibly acute.

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MP Will Quince speaks at a public meeting in the run up to this year's General Election 

“We have been lobbying very hard and we did not want what was happening in previous years - which is seeing our hospital literally bursting at the seams - to be happening all over again this year.”

He added: “This is all about preparation for what could be a cold winter.

“A&E is for emergencies, it is not for anything and everything and what people can do to help the hospital themselves is be aware of the other places to go for treatment.

“There is no question if everyone takes that approach, it would certainly take that pressure off.

“There is certainly an argument for what the hospital is looking at by effectively putting the walk-in centre and A&E in one building so that people can be effectively triaged and the point of entry to ensure they are sent in the right direction for treatment.

A spokeswoman for Colchester General Hospital said: “We are delighted to receive this additional funding which will make the world of difference to for our patients.

“We are just finalising our detailed plans for how we will use this money in the best way.”

In the Budget, Chancellor Phillip Hammond pledged to allocated an additional £2.8 billion to the NHS by 2019/20, including the £337 million for winter.

The Government has also announced a planned £3.5 billion investment in the NHS estate by 2022-23.