Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that Woking residents can access Ashford hospital.

I congratulate my Honourable Friend for his efforts and ongoing campaign and petition to secure a direct bus route between Woking and Ashford Hospital in Surrey.

He has made me aware that increasing numbers of appointments for Woking residents have been scheduled at Ashford Hospital over recent times and that current public transport links between Woking and the hospital are far from ideal.

To help expand wider access Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has received £15 million in the 2020/21 to 2021/22 period for the expansion of the emergency department and urgent treatment centre that serves, amongst others, the Woking area. This scheme is completed, and the site is operational.

In addition to this, the trust was also allocated £10 million in the 2022/23 to 2023/24 period from our Elective Recovery Targeted Investment Fund for theatres and procedure rooms.

I wish my Honourable Friend a successful outcome to his important campaign on this matter.