The Department of Health and Social Care have responded to Rebecca Smith MP’s petition to protect A&E funding at Derriford Hospital, tabled on 28th October 2024 in the House of Commons.
In a written letter, the Minister of State for Secondary Care Karin Smyth responded that the Government “understands the importance” of the investment and reiterated its commitment to delivering the New Hospital Programme. It states that a final decision will be made “in due course”. Given that Derriford is on the scheme and received £25.2m in 2023/24, committed by the last Conservative Government, Rebecca hopes this will mean that the new Labour Government will honour its pledge to complete the vital new hospital infrastructure.
The Chancellor threw the future of Derriford's new Urgent and Emergency Care (A&E) Facility into doubt with the announcement of the New Hospital Programme Review in July. Patients across South West Devon and the wider Southwest have been deeply concerned by this move, writing directly to Rebecca.
In response, on 24th September 2024, Rebecca launched a petition calling for the project to be honoured which continues to gather support every day. Rebecca has used this petition to demonstrate the strength of local opinion effectively, receiving widespread local news coverage and applying pressure on the Government to follow through on its manifesto commitment to fund Derriford.
Responding to letter, Rebecca Smith MP, Member of Parliament for South West Devon, stated:
I am grateful that the Government has acknowledged the importance of Derriford’s A&E funding and confirmed its manifesto commitment to deliver the New Hospital Programme which includes our hospital.
Since elected, I have campaigned tirelessly for our new A&E facility to be honoured. Speaking with patients, ambulance crews and Ministers, I understand its importance for getting a grip on wait times and took action by tabling a petition in Parliament.
With five critical incidents in the past year, we cannot afford any further delays. Given the Government’s own acknowledgement of the new A&E’s importance in their response, I am urging them to commit the funding and get spades back in the ground.
The letter reads as follows:
The Government understands the importance of delivering a new Derriford Emergency Care Hospital, Plymouth for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and appreciates that it is an uncertain time for patients across the South West.
We have confirmed that we are committed to delivering the New Hospital Programme (NHP), and the vital infrastructure it provides for staff and patients, but will put forward a realistic, affordable and deliverable plan.
The Terms of Reference for the review into the NHP were published on GOV.UK on 20 September: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programmereview-terms-of-reference. As confirmed by the publication, the Derriford Emergency Care Hospital is in scope of the review.
The review has fed into decisions that were taken in the Budget and, as set out by the Chancellor on 30 October 2024, we will publish the outcome of the review into the NHP in due course, alongside the new delivery schedule for the Programme. This will allow patients, Trusts and the local communities to understand when their much-needed new hospital will be delivered.
In the meantime, the Government continues to support the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust with the development of their new hospital scheme. Up to the end of the 2023/24 financial year, the Trust have received £25.2 million in funding for their NHP scheme.
