February 16, 2001 9:37: THE health authority is to receive almost £2 million in cash as part of a £140 million Government scheme to tackle the lottery of postcode care.

The £1,719,000 allocation for Buckinghamshire is on top of money given by the state in December and has taken the regional increase in health authority allocations to 8.8 per cent for 2001/02.

Georgie Agass, spokesman for the NHS Executive South East, said: "This is extra money which Buckinghamshire Health Authority can invest in projects which they feel will best benefit people who use their services."

She added: "This could mean investing in new kinds of care, reducing waiting lists or investing in new equipment."

Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn, said: "After decades of neglect the NHS is now getting the sustained investment it needs. This year over £3 billion of extra money is going to health authorities to support the implementation of the NHS plan.

"In total we will be spending over £37 billion."