South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith is campaigning to ensure Derriford Hospital's new urgent and emergency care facility is completed after doubt on the project’s funding was cast by the new Government.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced the New Hospital Programme Review will look again at priority funding of NHS hospital improvements, prompting fears that some promised improvements will be abandoned.

Patients across South West Devon and the wider South West have been deeply concerned by this move, writing directly to the MP, whose constituency is served by the hospital.

In response, Rebecca has launched a petition to present to Parliament to ensure building of the new urgent and emergency care facility goes ahead. She says investment is critical to secure better health outcomes in the South West, doubling the space to care for patients.

Derriford Hospital has publicly stated that it needs clarity from the Government. Any further delays risk pushing back their plans to start building the new facility in the spring 2025.

Rebecca will continue to meet with senior leaders at Derriford Hospital.

She said: “I welcome the fact that the Government is still considering this essential scheme. The capacity challenges at Derriford Hospital are in plain sight. Its health workers operate in an extremely challenging environment. Every day my inbox is filled with emails from constituents who are left waiting for treatment at Derriford Hospital.

“Significant improvements have been made. Last month I attended the opening of the South West Liver Unit, a cutting-edge 23-bed unit which will play a vital role in early testing and diagnosis. The opening of the Royal Eye Infirmary in October 2023 brings together the outpatient and surgical eye treatments previously provided at Derriford into a new state-of-the-art three-floor facility. The new Bantham Wardand Chesnut Unit opened in December 2023 will drive down wait times for orthopaedic and urology. Enabling works for the new urgent care facility have already started.

“Removing Derriford from the New Hospitals Programme, a scale of investment not delivered since 1981, will be a blow to the gut for every health worker and patient in the South West which relies on it. It is the only solution which meets the scale of the challenge facing NHS care in our region. I will not relent until the Government sees this landmark project through to completion.

“There is clear strong local opposition to these cuts. The £180m funding secured from the previous government was hard earned – we must fight to keep it. That is why I am launching a petition to protect the funding for Derriford Hospital. I am totally committed to holding the new Labour government to account and, with your support, will campaign against these detrimental Labour NHS cuts. Please sign the petition so that this strength of feeling can be felt in Parliament.”

The petition can be viewed on Rebecca Smith’s website under ‘campaigns’ or at this link https://shorturl.at/0qmsE

Constituents who are unable to sign the petition digitally are invited to write to Rebecca with their support at: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The South West Devon constituency includes the Buckland Monachorum and Yelverton areas.