Plymouth Moor View’ s recently elected MP Fred Thomas has met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to underline the urgent need for works at Derriford Hospital to continue.
He said:
“Like all local people, I am frustrated with these continued delays. A new emergency centre at Derriford is desperately needed and I am angry that the previous Government failed to allocate the funds to secure our centre.
“I insisted on meeting with the Health Secretary to discuss the future of Derriford. I explained how many people in Plymouth and beyond rely on Derriford and urged the Labour government to make it a priority.
“I will continue to campaign for a new emergency centre and work with the Labour government to get this done as soon as possible.”
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Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said:
“Fred has been a tireless campaigner for a new emergency centre at Derriford and has made a strong case for this hospital to be a priority.
“However unlike the previous government I am not prepared to mislead local people over the cost and offer false hope about how soon they will benefit from the facilities they deserve. We are working at pace because I recognise how important it is that we commit to a realistic timetable to deliver the healthcare facility local people need and deserve.
“We will not play fast and loose with the public finances, nor will we play fast and loose with people’s trust as the previous Government did.”
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Fred Thomas has also launched a petition to improve NHS dentistry provision in Plymouth which he will present to Parliament in due course. The petition highlights the fact that an estimated 22,000 people in the city are on the NHS dentistry waiting list.
The petition calls on the government to increase the number of NHS dental appointments in Plymouth, as well as to recruit more dentists in the city and reform the NHS dental contract.
Residents of Plymouth Moor View can sign the petition on Fred’ s website at the at
www.fredforplymouth.com/dentistry
He pointed out that only 42 per cent of Plymouth children have seen an NHS dentist in the last 12 months, and only 30 per cent of Plymouth adults have seen an NHS dentist in the last 24 months.
Devon has lost nearly 100 NHS dentists in the last decade, with numbers falling from 669 in 2014/15 to 579 in 2022/23.
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Fred Thomas added:
“The previous government have left behind a dire inheritance on NHS dentistry here in Plymouth.
“Everyone in our city should have access to an NHS dentist, and I will present this petition in the House of Commons to keep the spotlight on this issue.
“I know that the new Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, shares my determination to fix NHS dentistry.”
