Rugby MP welcomes move to write off £112m of historic debt for St Cross and UHCW

As part of this scheme, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has had historic debt worth £112 million written off.

Mr Pawsey said this will allow both University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire and the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby to invest in maintaining vital services during the coronavirus outbreak.

He added that the change means local hospitals will get all the necessary funding to carry out their emergency response during the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision to write off more than £13billion of debt is part of a package of reforms to the NHS financial system, designed in a collaboration between the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, which began from the start of the new financial year.

Mr Pawsey said: “The debt our local NHS Trusts were saddled with was a millstone around their neck.

"This decision to write off historic debt is game-changing and will enable the Trusts to plan for the future and invest in vital services.

“Before the coronavirus outbreak, I had conversations with the health secretary about the importance of good local health services here in Rugby and particularly supporting our local hospital, St Cross.

"I’m very pleased the health secretary has brought forward these measures to support our NHS during this time and I will continue to press him for further investment at St Cross when this crisis passes.

“The NHS is at the frontline of our fight against the coronavirus and the government remains committed to providing the NHS with whatever it needs to tackle the virus.

"The changes the government have made to historic NHS debt will give the NHS immediate financial certainty to plan and deliver their emergency response.”