The government has given its strongest hint yet about the creation of a ‘super hospital’ in Central Lancashire.

Royal Preston Hospital, in Fulwood, and Lancaster Royal Infirmary would both be decommissioned under the proposals.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a £3.7billion fund to build 40 new hospitals across the UK, including in Lancashire.

The PM said: “The dedication and tireless efforts of our nurses, doctors and all healthcare workers have kept the NHS open throughout this pandemic. But no matter what this virus throws at us, we are determined to build back better and deliver the biggest hospital building programme in a generation.

“From Morpeth to Milton Keynes, we are building 40 new hospitals across England to level up our NHS so more people have top-class healthcare services in their local area.”

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The Department of Health state subject to consultation either one, or two, new hospitals would be built to serve those within the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay areas.

Three community urgent care hubs and three out of hospital hubs would be ‘re-provisioned’ under the scheme.

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A new ‘super hospital’ for Central Lancashire has long been mooted – with locations including land out near the M65/M61/M6 junctions among the potential sites.

The government said it planned for the new super-hospital, or two hospitals, to be operational by 2030.

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Both Preston MP, Sir Mark Hendrick, and Chorley MP, Lindsay Hoyle, have given their reaction to the government’s hospitals announcement to the Lancashire Post.

Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines

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