Royal Liverpool University Hospital is biggest health scheme to survive government cutbacks

The government has approved £1.4bn worth of health and transport projects despite cutbacks and delays to construction schemes announced this week.

The biggest health project to emerge unscathed from the review was the £400m Royal Liverpool University Hospital, while the £250m Tyne and Wear Metro was also approved.

In total the health and transport projects signed off amount to £1.4bn of work.

St Helier Hospital in Surrey, thought to be worth £220m, was also given the go-ahead, as was the £80m redevelopment of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Middlesex.

Almost £700m of transport work was also re-confirmed by the Treasury, including:

- Luton-Dunstable Busway - £89m

- A130/A13 Sadlers Farm Junction (Essex) - £63m

- Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements (Tees Valley LAs) - £62.4m

- Metrolink Extension - Ashton - E Didsbury (Greater Manchester)

- Edge Lane / Eastern Approaches (Liverpool) - £20m

- Bidston Moss Viaduct (M53 J1) Maintenance (Merseyside) - £89m

- Poole Bridge (Poole) - £37m

- A41 Expressway (Sandwell) - £23m

- A65 QBC (Leeds) – £19m

- Silver Jubilee Bridge Maintenance (Halton)  - £19m

- Tyne and Wear Metro - £250m

- M1 J19 Catthorpe Viaduct Replacement – up to £25m