On Friday, 31st January, Rebecca Smith MP, Member of Parliament for South West Devon, toured Derriford Hospital’s Dartmoor Building site, speaking to the construction team and hospital staff about progress. The MP has reported back that the new hospital building, which will house hospital services such as an Urgent Treatment Centre and the Fracture Clinic, is being delivered at pace.
Rebecca Smith MP, Member of Parliament for South West Devon, stated:
Derriford's new Emergency Care Unit which I fought hard to secure is a huge win for Plymouth and the surrounding area. However, the Dartmoor Building is equally important to increase capacity at the back end of Derriford.
The investment provided by the last Conservative Government to fund this project will help relieve pressure on our Emergency Department, enabling emergency medicine specialists to focus on those patients who are seriously unwell.
Despite all the dragging of their feet in Westminster, we are finally seeing progress being made locally. I will do all I can to drive investment into our local NHS and will monitor progress closely.
The Dartmoor Building, formally known as the Urgent Treatment Centre, will be equipped to treat a range of minor injuries. This includes cuts, small burns or scalds, bites and stings, sprains and certain fractures, minor head injuries, infected wounds, and foreign bodies in eyes. It is located between Rowans House and the multi-storey carpark and visible from the main round as you pull off Derriford roundabout.
Rebecca is a tireless champion of Derriford Hospital. When the Labour Chancellor placed Derriford’s new Emergency Care Unit under review in July 2024, throwing its future into doubt, Rebecca tabled a petition to save the landmark project in the House of Commons and did not relent until the Government came down on Derriford’s side. On Monday 20th January, the Health Secretary announced that Derriford Hospital’s new Emergency Care Unit would be on the list of wave one buildings to begin construction between 2025 and 2030.
