A much-needed cash boost of £6.4m is to be injected into expanding and modernising Mayday Hospital, it was announced last week by visiting health minister Hazel Blears.

Mayday's long-awaited proposal for expanding and upgrading its accident and emergency department has been given the green light.

A total of £1.2m will be used to extend the casualty department's waiting area with a separate paediatric treatment and waiting area, and the Croydoc GP referral service.

This is coupled with an extra £5.2m which will be spent on replacing the last four Victorian wards with modern facilities. It comes on top of a £15m new ward block currently being built.

Malcolm Wicks, MP for Croydon North, said: “This is great news. Mayday's A & E department needs radical improvement. Both patients and staff deserve this boost.

“One of my lasting memories of the election campaign was the significant number of people I met who had to wait far too long in A & E to get treatment for themselves or relatives sometimes for hours.

“Croydon relies on Mayday Hospital and its staff to do excellent work, often under immense pressure. This approval for new construction is not the whole answer but it is a critical part of the solution.”

Mayday's chief executive Keith Ford said: “When the work is completed we will not have any beds left in our Victorian wing. This is great news for our patients.”

Hazel Blears also helped with the demolition of the old records building after its services moved elsewhere on site.

The £5.2 million comes from a government fund aimed at replacing old-fashioned Florence Nightingale-type wards with 21st century facilities.

Kerry McQueeney