MPs welcome multi million-pound Government investment into "crumbling" Peterborough hospitals and schools

“Crumbling” health and education facilities in Peterborough are to get urgent repairs and systems upgrades thanks to a multi million-pound government funding package.

The overall national investment of more than £67m aims to tackle long-term problems at hospitals such as leaky pipes, poor ventilation and electrical issues, which the Government says will “help to prevent thousands of cancelled operations and appointments.”

At a local level, North West Anglia Foundation Trust (NWAFT) will receive £5,728,000 to use across Peterborough City Hospital, Hitchingbrooke Hospital and Stamford Day Treatment Unit. The money will pay for improvements to external and internal building fabrics and fixtures, ventilation systems, medical gases systems, electrical systems and energy systems, along with roof works and fire safety works.

For UK schools, more than £80m has been allocated to be used on various maintenance projects, which the Government says will “undo years of dangerous neglect”.

In Peterborough, the following three schools will benefit from funding for “urgent” repairs and upgrades:

• Northborough Primary School – urgent fire door replacement and compartmentation improvements, and urgent water quality improvements.

• Wittering Primary School – urgent roof refurbishment

• Abbey College in Ramsey – urgent structural repairs to the Oswald building and a new heating system

Local MPs have welcomed the news.

Andrew Pakes, MP for Peterborough, said: “I’m really pleased to see over £5.7 million in Government funding going to North West Anglia Foundation Trust. This will make a real difference to patient care and give a much-needed boost to the brilliant staff working so hard across our local NHS. This is part of a wider effort to invest in the essential services people rely on every day, whether that’s healthcare, education, or community infrastructure.

“With 72 new beds on the way at Peterborough City Hospital and a new Community Diagnostics Centre in the pipeline, we’re starting to turn a corner, not just for the NHS, but for the whole community.”

Sam Carling, MP for North West Cambridgeshire, added: “Parents across North West Cambridgeshire will remember the terror of the RAAC crisis, and the fear that children were no longer safe in their own school because of years of Conservative neglect. Labour is turning the page through our Plan for Change, literally fixing the foundations of our schools so local children are in a safe environment where they can achieve and thrive.

“The same is true of our hospitals – the £5.7 million the Government has announced for upgrades and repairs will make a huge difference for patients in our region as we get our NHS back on its feet.”

The Government hopes that fixing the backlog of maintenance at NHS hospitals will help to prevent cancellations, adding that “services were disrupted over 4,000 times across England in 2023/24 due to issues with poor quality buildings”.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said: “We are on a mission to rebuild our NHS through investment and modernisation. Patients and staff deserve to be in buildings that are safe, comfortable and fit for purpose. Through our Plan for Change, we will make our NHS fit for the future.”

Speaking about the funding for schools and colleges, Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, added: “Parents expect their children to learn in a safe warm environment. It’s what children deserve, and it is what we are delivering.

“This investment is about more than just buildings - it's about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.”

The projects across schools and hospitals will be delivered during the 2025 to 2026 financial year, with the first upgrades expected to begin this summer.