Health Secretary Wes Streeting, has visited Derriford Hospital speaking to both staff and patients at the Emergency Department and the Same Day Emergency Care Service.
The visit from Health Secretary Wes Streeting came after Plymouth Moor View MP Fred Thomas called on Mr Streeting to visit Derriford to see for himself the challenges being faced and to hear from staff about the need for a new emergency department.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting visited Derriford Hospital to witness the ongoing pressures in the Emergency Department and Same Day Emergency Care Service.
- Local MPs Fred Thomas and Rebecca Smith are urging urgent government action to fund a new Emergency Department at Derriford.
- The hospital leadership highlighted efforts to reduce patient wait times and improve community care despite year-round challenges.
Wes Streeting said in the House of Commons:
”I was grateful to staff at Derriford Hospital for showing me at first hand the Emergency Department pressures when I visited just before Christmas. I have also visited Derriford at the height of summer, when it experiences high pressures.
“There are year-round difficulties at Derriford, and I thank the staff and leadership of the hospital for what they are doing in difficult circumstances. We will come forward shortly with the timetable for the New Hospitals Programme. I expect that it will be published sooner than the Conservatives apologise for their appalling record.”
Jo Beer, chief operating officer at Derriford Hospital said:
“The Secretary of State came alone and visited our Emergency Department and our Same Day Emergency Care service and other assessment areas where he spoke to staff and patients, as well as colleagues from our community partner, Livewell Southwest.
“We were delighted to see him again, after his last visit to Derriford in August 2022. He showed a keen interest in the work we are doing to reduce waits for patients and care for more patients in the community.”
RELATED DERRIFORD HOSPITAL NEWS
Meanwhile West Devon MP Rebecca Smith has called for an urgent decision by the Government to fully fund Derriford’s new Emergency Department.
Speaking days before a critical incident was declared at Derriford Rebecca said:
“What is missing from the Health Secretary’s announcement is any sort of update on the New Hospitals Programme Review, which is vital in my constituency of South West Devon, because Derriford hospital needs its Urgent and Emergency Care Facility to bring down ambulance waiting times before it can even start to tackle its general waiting list issues.
“Its future matters to my constituents, underlined by the latest critical incident. The Health Secretary should treat their concerns with the seriousness they deserve and provide an update on the New Hospitals Programme.”
