£2 million boost for Lister Hospital to help ease winter pressures
PRESS RELEASE – 18th October 2026
Lister Hospital to receive £2 million for additional escalation, general and acute beds.
Funding forms part of almost £140 million for 14 urgent care schemes across England.
Investment will help more patients move from A&E into appropriate hospital beds during busy periods, reducing delays and improving patient flow.
Lister Hospital in Stevenage will receive £2 million in new government funding to increase hospital bed capacity and help the NHS manage winter pressures.
The funding is part of almost £140 million being invested in 14 urgent care schemes across England, helping hospitals expand capacity and improve services ahead of the colder months.
At the Lister, the investment will provide additional escalation, general and acute beds. This will enable more patients attending A&E to be admitted to appropriate hospital beds when demand is high, helping to reduce delays in emergency departments and ensure patients receive the care they need.
Nationally, a further 25 new or expanded urgent care sites announced in April will be open for winter, providing additional frontline capacity as the NHS prepares for the heavy demands of the colder months.
The investment follows a summer of record NHS activity and extreme heat. With seasonal illnesses, including flu and norovirus adding to the heavy workload over winter, the NHS has been preparing since July to meet patients' needs and protect patient safety.
Kevin Bonavia, MP for Stevenage, welcomed the funding, saying:
“I'm pleased to see this investment in the Lister, which will make a real difference to patients and staff as we head into winter.
“It's part of the wider work we're doing to strengthen our local NHS. We've already seen significant recent investment in the Lister, including £11 million for paediatric services, alongside funding to tackle urgent maintenance issues across hospital buildings.
“I'm committed to making sure our local health services have the capacity and resources they need to care for people in Stevenage and the surrounding villages. This latest funding is another welcome step towards delivering that.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
"Winter will be more challenging for our NHS this year, after such a heavy summer. That's why we have been preparing early and investing in extra urgent care capacity to help get patients the care they need.
"NHS staff worked incredibly hard to keep on top of the extra pressure this summer. Now we need to support them in delivering for patients through the winter season, so our NHS is there for all of us when we need it."
In total, the government is investing almost £2 billion in urgent care capital projects until 2030, improving facilities and ensuring people can get care closer to home, on top of a £1.5 billion investment confirmed so far for projects to address urgent maintenance problems across the NHS estate.
Alongside increasing urgent care capacity, the government has expanded the Pharmacy First scheme, so people can get support with a wider range of common conditions at their local pharmacy, and enhanced GP access through evening, weekend and out-of-hours appointments during the colder months.
Prevention remains one of the best ways to protect patients and services, which is why more community pharmacies are offering the flu jab this year, with eligibility expanded to include more vulnerable groups, including people experiencing homelessness. The NHS is also rolling out digital tools to simplify the booking process for parents, schools and vaccination teams.
Over 7.4 million flu vaccinations had been delivered in England by 11 October. So far, more children have been vaccinated this year than last.
This winter, the single best thing eligible people can do is get their flu jab and other vaccines, to protect themselves against preventable illness and help relieve pressure on the NHS. Booking is open now.
