A&E patients in the region may be triaged quicker next winter after the government announced a £100m scheme in the Budget.

The money will be spent on 'capital investments' - which will enable NHS hospitals to help manage the demand and ensure patients access the most appropriate care.

Hospitals could, for example, spend the money on increasing the provision of GP facilities on their premises.

MORE: Budget 2017 - Main points of Chancellor Philip Hammond's Budget

This could be particularly good news for the region's biggest hospital, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (N&N), which runs the busiest A&E department in the east of England and has long missed the four-hour waiting time target.

Richard Parker, the N&N's chief operating officer, said the funding was 'potentially good news'.

'We will be looking to make sure we understand this fully and will apply if we can,' he said.

Meanwhile the government also announced £325m for areas with advanced 'Sustainability and Transformation Plans', but this region is unlikely to fit into that category yet.

However the government has announced an extra £2bn of funds to help social care, which will impact on the NHS.

More on that story to follow.