BORIS Johnson is set to announce that NHS Wirral CCG and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust will receive a share of £850m spending pledge.

The new Prime Minister will hand over £18m to "improve patient flow" in Wirral by developing access via the Urgent Treatment Centre at Arrowe Park Hospital plus £33m to Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust to provide a new 40 bed low secure unit in Maghull Health Park for people with learning disabilities.

Mr Johnson will reveal his plans to announce the 20 hospitals set to benefit from the £850m to upgrade "outdated" facilities and equipment when he visits a Lincolnshire hospital today (Monday, August 5).

He will also confirm a £1bn boost to NHS capital spending, allowing existing upgrade programmes to proceed and tackling the most urgent infrastructure projects.

Later this week, the Health Secretary will also set out further changes to the NHS pension scheme to support senior doctors and GPs taking on extra shifts.

Mr Johnson said: “I promised on my first day in office to make sure funding gets to NHS frontline services as quickly as possible, and today I’m pleased to announce an extra £51 million for services in Merseyside.

“The money for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Wirral CCG will make a real, tangible difference to people’s lives and make sure patients across Merseyside get the care they need.”

News that Wirral is to receive a share of the new £1.8 billion for the NHS has been welcomed by Councillors.

Councillor Mary Jordan, Conservative Spokesman on the Adult Care and Health Committee, said: "This is good news for Wirral's NHS and all of us who depend on it - especially for care that is urgent. 

"We have been urging the NHS to do more to improve urgent care and A&E. 

"Today's news means they will now have the money to do it. 

"There are other issues that still need attention - not least access to urgent care and public transport - but the extra cash announced today is a welcome step."

Chief Executive of NHS England Simon Stevens said: "This is a significant start to the much needed capital investment so that our nurses, doctors and other NHS staff will be able to care for their patients in modern facilities with state of the art equipment.

"The concrete steps being set out this week will mean investment flows directly to frontline services, providing new clinics and wards.

"As they come on line, as part of our NHS Long Term Plan, patients will benefit from reduced waits for treatment and wider upgrades to the quality of care the health service is able to offer."

Later this week, the Health Secretary will also set out further changes to the NHS pension scheme to support senior doctors and GPs taking on extra shifts.

Simon Banks, chief officer at NHS Wirral CCG, said: "I’m really pleased that Wirral residents are going to benefit from this extra money.

"The Urgent Treatment Centre will ensure that we can provide a seamless urgent care service at Arrowe Park Hospital and compliments our recent decision to retain walk in facilities in Wallasey, Birkenhead and Eastham as well as more GP appointments."