A MAJOR "multi-million pound" investment into Worcestershire Royal Hospital has been pledged if the Conservatives win the General Election.

Health minister Philip Dunn says the site will benefit from a major funding package if Theresa May has an overall majority after June 8.

The announcement has been leapt on by Tory hopeful Robin Walker, who is defending a 5,646 majority in a seat where the NHS crisis is a key issue.

Worcester's Labour parliamentary candidate Councillor Joy Squires has responded by renewing her criticism over the Government's health spending record, saying extra investment is taking too long.

Mr Dunn says he has been lobbied by both the Conservative would-be MPs for Worcester and Redditch, and has made investment at the royal and Alex "a priority" after June.

"The staff in both Redditch and Worcester are working incredibly hard and doing an amazing job, but it’s clear the facilities on both sites need improving," he said.

"Robin Walker and Rachel Maclean (the Redditch candidate) have both made a strong case to me about the critical need for certainty, support and investment for the hospitals.

"Plans for a substantial multi-million pound investment here, benefitting both sites are well advanced.

"I'm pleased to say that if a Conservative Government, under Theresa May is re-elected on June 8 then this project will be a priority."

Mr Walker said: "I am glad that ministers have listened to the consistent pressure from both Worcester and Redditch for more investment in our hospitals.

"This is a number one priority for my campaign and it is good to hear that millions of pounds of investment are on their way."

But Cllr Squires said: "If this funding materialises it will be very welcome - but we have had many promises from Robin Walker over the years about increased investment for the Worcester Royal.

"Given the serious problems we have at the hospital, I don't understand why it is taking so long."

Worcestershire's Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has already made a bid for £29 million of national funding for a shake-up of the county's two main hospitals, which would be split equally between both sites.

It follows years of growing concern over A&E waiting times being missed, operations being cancelled, deaths at the royal and several other crises which includes the trust being placed in special measures.

Following the deaths of two patients at the royal last winter, which made headlines around the country, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admitted it was the hospital he was most concerned about in Britain.

Worcester News:

Labour is promising £30 billion in extra funding over the next parliament, while the Tories are pledging an £8 billion 'real terms' increase over five years.

The Lib Dems, meanwhile, want to put an extra 1p on all rates of income tax to earmark £6 billion a year extra into health and social care.

But the Health Foundation says all three are likely to prove inadequate, with Labour's plans forecast to leave a £7 billion funding 'gap' by 2020-21, climbing to £12 billion under the Tories.

The Green Party says it will 'reverse the NHS funding gap', paid partly by scrapping nuclear weapons.