A COUNCILLOR fears rivalry over bids for cash for new hospitals in Runcorn and Warrington could hit proposals.

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals is hoping to develop both the current sites at Runcorn and Warrington.

Plans to develop Halton Hospital in Runcorn were knocked back in 2018 while hopes of a new building in Warrington could be 15 years away.

Neither were on the list of the Government's 40 new hospitals published last year.

Speaking at a council meeting in Warrington Cllr Ian Marks said he was concerned about a ‘rivalry’ between Warrington and Halton – both part of the same trust – competing for the ‘same pot of money’.

Shortly after, Simon Constable, chief executive of the trust, highlighted the importance of ‘linking’ the ‘entirely different’ propositions for Warrington and Halton.

He said: “I think there is a recognition that we need to take things up a gear and the support that we’ve had from the two MPs working together, with the support from the council, is going to be invaluable in making sure we are making the case in a cogent, strategic way, but also very cognisant of the political possibilities and ramifications.”

Mr Constable added that despite not being included in the Government’s plans for ’40 new hospitals’, Warrington is ‘asking to be viewed differently and go up the list’.

But he did not wish to go into how likely that is to happen, when asked.

Meanwhile central Government will be urged to ‘fast-track’ Warrington’s bid for a new hospital amid fears it will take 15 years before the proposal is even considered.

The town centre area has been identified as the desirable site for the future facility.

The strategic outline case is currently being finalised – it covers matters including affordability, timetable and deliverability.

The purpose of it is to provide the information needed to enable NHS England, the Department of Health and the Treasury to give the green light to the proposal progressing to an outline business case stage.