Heart patients as well as some of the smallest and sickest babies in Surrey will have new improved hospital units after a multimillion pound deal was struck.

Intensive care facilities for premature babies will be modernised at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey as well as major upgrades to cardiac care as part of a £3.2million package – with the majority coming from Runnymede Borough Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund.

CIL is collected by the council in planning charges and used to offset the impact of development in the borough.

Announcing the Chertsey hospital investment, Cllr Robert King, co-leader of Runnymede Borough Council, said: “For families, the moments when a loved one needs specialist care are when the NHS matters most. 

“That is why this investment we have championed at St Peter’s Hospital is so vital.”

The council said £2.9 million will be used to upgrade to the Cardiac Catheter Lab and allow it to offer more complex and less invasive heart procedures, at a faster rate. It will be topped up with an additional £900,000 in existing NHS allocations.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will receive £296,000 to refurbish and modernise the only Level 3 facility of its kind in Surrey.

Level 3 wards offer the highest level of care for the sickest, smallest, and most premature babies.

Cllr King added: “Together, these improvements will strengthen care for some of the most vulnerable babies and adults, ensuring local people receive world-class treatment when they need it most.”

Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals CEO, Louise Stead, said: “These improvements will strengthen our ability to deliver timely, life-saving care in modern, purpose-built environments.”

The hospital trust said the improvements will enhance facilities for both families and clinical teams, ensuring babies receive the very best start in life. 

There will be upgraded rooms designed to offer greater comfort, privacy and reassurance during the long and emotional periods of care.

The funding, one of the most significant local healthcare investments in recent years, is expected to deliver the improvements within the next two years.