These Yorkshire hospitals are getting millions of pounds for refurbishments and upgrades

The funding for the region is part of a £600m package announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to help eradicate the maintenance backlog in NHS hospitals.

In total £68m is being handed to NHS trusts in Yorkshire, with the hospital trusts in Sheffield and Leeds getting a combined £24m.

The funding includes £2.7 million to refurbish Firth Theatres at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital, which includes critical care, cardiovascular surgery and other surgical wards;

A total of £1.6 million is being provided for the demolition and reconstruction of a learning centre at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and £1.2 million for mechanical and electrical upgrades of nine main trauma theatres at Hull Royal Infirmary.

The Government says funding has been released to 178 NHS Trusts to cover almost 1,800 maintenance projects. The projects are now underway, and will be completed by March 2021.

Mr Hancock said: “Alongside delivering on our manifesto commitment to build 40 new hospitals and 20 major hospital upgrades across the country, this investment will help our NHS build back better.

“These crucial maintenance projects will deliver immediate benefits and provide NHS staff with the facilities they need to provide world-class care to their patients this winter, helping ensure the NHS is always there for you when you need it.”

The announcement comes after the Government insisted it plans to build 40 new hospitals in the next decade, but the opposition has queried the figures, saying that many of the projects amount to rebuilding or consolidation initiatives.

The £1.5 billion capital funding programme also includes plans to modernise mental health facilities, expand A&E capacity and improve infection control this winter.

NHS trusts were allocated the £600 million upgrade and refurbishment funding after being asked to put forward projects that would deliver "best value fort money" and could be completed by the end of March 2021.

The Department of Health said the successful initiatives are evenly distributed across England, with more than half of projects in the Midlands, North East and Yorkshire; and North West regions.