LABOUR’S parliamentary candidate in Uxbridge & South Ruislip is calling on the Government to provide £50m which, he says, is desperately needed for repairs at Hillingdon Hospital.

Chris Summers - who will be up against Boris Johnson in May - said: “I’ve been to see for myself the terrible state of the hospital's main buildings and the chief executive, Shane DeGaris, has made it clear how critical it is they get this money. It is absolutely urgent."

Mr Summers said the three Hillingdon MPs - John McDonnell, Nick Hurd and Sir John Randall - went to see Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt this year to press Hillingdon's case but had so far had no success.

He said: "In an ideal world they would get £200m or more to knock down the Tower and Podium buildings, which date from the 1960s, and the prefab buildings on the site, which were put up in the 1940s, and replace them with a state-of-the-art hospital fit for the 21st century.

"But these are straitened times and that may not be feasible. The hospital is desperately in need of £40m-£50m to refurbish the Tower and Podium, both of which are suffering from serious cracks and structural damage. They were built 50 years ago and they will not survive much longer without significant investment."

Mr Summers said: "The people of Uxbridge & South Ruislip might well struggle to understand why the Government cannot find £50m to bring Hillingdon Hospital up to standard but is planning on spending billions on HS2 - which is a white elephant - and replacing Trident nuclear missiles, which will not protect Britain in the terrorist, post-Cold War era."

He said: "I find it shocking that Mr Hunt has not bothered to accept the hospital's invitation to see the problem at Hillingdon for himself.”

Mr Summers added: "I know the future of Hillingdon Hospital is one of the most important issues in Uxbridge & South Ruislip.

"It employs 2,800 nurses, doctors, cleaners and other staff and treats tens of thousands of local people every year. It is also going to have an increased workload, especially in A&E, following the downgrading of Ealing Hospital."

The hospital is already planning to replace the windows on the top floors of the Tower building with double glazing this winter. It will be financing this work from its own budget.