'Late summer' before decision over future of services is made

SOMERSET health bosses won't decide whether it is feasible to reopen key maternity services at Yeovil Hospital until at least the late-summer.

- DANIEL MUMBY Local democracy journalist

The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust announced on May 12 that it would be closing Yeovil's birthing and special care baby units (SCBU) for a minimum of six months, following an official warning notice from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) about the standard of care being provided.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance led a peaceful protest outside the hospital alongside local patients when the closure came into force on May 19, stating he would be demanding resignations within the trust's senior leadership team if the closure was not reversed.

Taunton MP Gideon Amos has stepped up calls for urgent interim funding for maternity and paediatric services at Musgrove Park Hospital, following the abrupt closure of key facilities in nearby Yeovil.

The Liberal Democrat MP warned that Musgrove Park is already under intense pressure and described the maternity services as being “at breaking point”. He urged the government to bring forward long-promised investment which is not scheduled to arrive until between 2030 and 2035.

And Wells and Mendip Hills MP Tessa Munt said: “I was greatly concerned to read that that maternity services are to be ‘temporarily’ suspended at Yeovil Hospital.

“Following on from the ongoing concerns over the future of the stroke unit in Yeovil, my colleagues and I are seeking urgent assurance over the commitment of the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust to the Yeovil site.

“Every rural community deserves access to quality hospital care it shouldn’t be a luxury it’s a necessity. I will always campaign to fund our local hospitals.”

Trust chief executive Jonathan Higman has now given verbal assurances that he and his colleagues will do everything possible to reopen the service but added that no decision would be taken until a formal report has been completed in mid-August.