3. Improving Health Outcomes

Whether it's securing investment for a new A&E or reworking NHS funding for community pharmacy, Rebecca is utterly committed to improving health outcomes in South West Devon. Born at Freedom Fields Hospital and raised in Plymouth, Rebecca, like many, has relied on the local NHS throughout her life. Working closely with local health leaders, she works day and night to drive investment and improve health outcomes in our corner of Devon.

Rebecca lobbied the Government relentlessly for 6-months to honour its manifesto commitment to deliver Derriford Hospital's new A&E after it was placed under review. She was the first Plymouth MP to take concrete action, tabling a petition in Parliament with almost 1,000 local signatures, and piled pressure on senior government ministers in Parliament to keep their word. Secured in January 2025, the landmark investment will slash ambulance wait times, unclogging a major choke point in Devon and Cornwall's NHS. The local MP "urges the Government to now work at pace to make up for lost time".

Rebecca has also led the charge on funding for community pharmacies, arguing for the NHS funding pharmacists receive for prescriptions to match their cost. When Rebecca met with Noss Mayo pharmacist Esi Kumurdzi, she was alarmed to learn that the unfair funding settlement meant she was facing closure in a matter of months and launched a petition to save the pharmacy.

The South West Devon MP also campaigns on issues which don't grab headlines, such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a debilitating condition that causes an abnormally rapid increase in heart rate when sitting or standing up. She used her first PMQ to raise the need for a new local service for those living with POTS, securing a meeting with key stakeholders.

View recent articles on Rebecca's work to improve health outcomes in South West Devon below.

News

Rebecca welcomes new Plymouth dental clinic

Plymouth's dental care has been in a fix; demand is through the roof while Plymouth-trained dentists have left for sunnier climes.University of Plymouth's Peninsula Dental School has been front and centre of the fight to crack down on Plymouth's 20,000 waiting list.

Rebecca meets with key stakeholders to fix local PoTS care

Thousands of people suffering with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) across Devon and Cornwall have not been able to access adequate treatment since the retirement of Derriford's only local specialist in July.PoTS is a debilitating condition that causes an abnormally rapid increase in heart rate

Rebecca piles pressure on Government as Derriford A&E decision imminent

Rebecca Smith MP, Member of Parliament for South West Devon, has piled pressure on the Government to fully fund Derriford Hospital’s new A&E. A decision is expected imminently but no detail was provided in the Health Secretary’s statement at the dispatch box on Monday, 6th January 2025.

PMQs: Rebecca asks Prime Minister about closure of Derriford clinic for PoTS

Thousands of people suffering with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) across Devon and Cornwall have not been able to access adequate treatment since the retirement of Derriford's only local specialist in July.PoTS is a debilitating condition that causes an abnormally rapid increase in heart rate