Rebecca attended the official opening of the new Children’s Emergency Department and expanded A&E at Southend Hospital earlier this month.

The £8.9 million investment came after a long campaign by Rebecca and parliamentary colleagues, as well as many others. She said it was very clear just how much these improvements were needed for patients across South East Essex.

The new children’s A&E will provide a much calmer and more appropriate environment for young patients and their families, while the wider expansion will help improve patient flow, increase capacity and reduce ambulance handover delays.

Rebecca had the chance to see the children’s A&E just before the equipment was wheeled in. The Southend Hospital Charity had commissioned beautiful wilderness artwork for the walls for children and parents to enjoy while they are receiving triage. 

Rebecca said: "A huge thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen, including the hospital staff, the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, the charity that helped fund the wonderful children’s area and everyone who campaigned for these improvements.

"This is a real investment in better healthcare for residents across Castle Point, Southend and Rochford, and I’m delighted to see it now open and treating patients."