Stepping Hill Hospital Betrayal

Tom Morrison MP: The Government’s Betrayal of Stepping Hill Hospital

When I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Cheadle, I promised to stand up for our community, fight for our local services, and ensure that residents receive the quality healthcare they deserve. That is why I am appalled by the Health Secretary’s shocking decision to exclude Stepping Hill Hospital from the government’s hospital rebuild programme, despite its crumbling state and desperate need for investment.

Stepping Hill is the backbone of our local NHS services. It provides care to thousands of residents across Stockport and beyond, yet the conditions inside the hospital are utterly unacceptable. Staff are working tirelessly under increasingly difficult circumstances, forced to provide care in buildings that are literally falling apart. From leaking ceilings to outdated facilities, Stepping Hill’s infrastructure is failing—and the government has chosen to look the other way.

The Reality of the Government’s Hospital Programme

The former Conservative government trumpeted its so-called ‘New Hospital Programme’ as a major investment in our NHS, claiming it would deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030. The reality is far from that. Many of these so-called ‘new hospitals’ are simply refurbishments or extensions. Even after the latest review by Labour, the programme remains riddled with delays, confusion, and broken promises. Worse still, it has completely ignored the pressing needs of hospitals like Stepping Hill.

The Health Secretary claims his new plan is “realistic” and “deliverable,” but the truth is clear: this government has prioritised political optics over patient safety. Instead of providing a fair and transparent assessment of hospital needs, ministers have cherry-picked projects while leaving vital institutions like Stepping Hill to deteriorate further.

A Hospital in Crisis

Anyone who has walked the corridors of Stepping Hill knows the scale of the crisis. The hospital is dealing with an increasing backlog of maintenance issues, from outdated wards to structural problems that impact both patient care and staff working conditions. The repair backlog is estimated to cost £134million for Stepping Hill alone. Patients are being treated in buildings that were never designed for the demands of modern healthcare, and every delay in funding puts lives at risk.

A Local Fight for Fairness

This decision is an insult to the hardworking NHS staff who keep Stepping Hill running, and to the people of Cheadle who rely on it for life-saving treatment. Our community deserves better. I have already written to the Health Secretary demanding an explanation for this outrageous omission, and I will not stop pressing the government until Stepping Hill gets the funding it so desperately needs.

But this is not just about one hospital—it is about fairness. It is about ensuring that investment in our NHS is based on need, not political convenience. The people of Cheadle will not be ignored, and I will continue to hold this government to account for its failure to act.

Join the Campaign

I am calling on all residents who care about the future of our local NHS to stand with me. Sign my petition, write to the Health Secretary, and make your voices heard. Stepping Hill needs urgent investment, and together we can send a clear message: we will not be forgotten.

The government has a choice—fix the crisis at Stepping Hill or face the consequences at the ballot box. Our NHS is too important to be treated as an afterthought. It is time for action, not excuses.