THE future of the planned urgent and emergency care unit at Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital has been raised in Parliament.

The issue was raised as Derriford and all the main hospitals in Devon have declared critical incidents, where significant and rising demand is putting high pressure on services. One of the consequences are long queues of ambulances waiting to transfer emergency patients to A&E.

This demand is due to flu and other cold weather illnesses, meaning some planned surgery could be postponed as care to those in most in need is prioritised.

The badly needed planned Derriford A&E department was funded by the last government, but the major project is in doubt after the Chancellor announced the New Hospital Programme Review last July. This review will decide which new-builds can go ahead.

This delay prompted patients across South and West Devon to express their concern to Rebecca Smith MP for South West Devon, who has been pressing the Government to fully fund Derriford’s new A&E. A decision is expected ‘imminently’ but no detail was provided in the Health Secretary’s statement in the Commons on Monday (January 6).

Rebecca quizzed Health Secretary Wes Streeting on when an update would be provided: “What is missing is any sort of update on the New Hospitals Programme Review, which is vital in my constituency of South West Devon, because Derriford hospital needs its urgent and emergency care facility to bring down ambulance waiting times before it can even start to tackle its general waiting list issues.

“When will Derriford Hospital hear whether it has been successful in the new hospitals programme review?”

The Health Secretary said he understood the pressures after touring Derriford Hospital: “I was grateful to staff at Derriford Hospital for showing me at first hand the emergency department pressures when I visited just before Christmas.

“I have also visited Derriford at the height of summer, when it experiences high pressures. There are year-round difficulties at Derriford, and I thank the staff and leadership of the hospital for what they are doing in difficult circumstances.

“We will come forward shortly with the timetable for the New Hospitals Programme. I expect that it will be published sooner than the Conservatives apologise for their appalling record.”

Rebecca Smith MP said: “Since being elected in July, I have campaigned relentlessly to protect Derriford’s new A&E from Labour cuts because I understand its importance to slashing ambulance wait times at Derriford.

“Its future matters to my constituents, underlined by the latest critical incident. The Health Secretary should treat their concerns with the seriousness they deserve and provide an update on the New Hospitals Programme.”

She has tabled a petition in the Commons to protect A&E funding at Derriford Hospital, tabled in the House of Commons last October.

Minister of State for Secondary Care Karin Smyth responded to the petition saying the Government understands the importance of the investment and reiterated its commitment to delivering the New Hospital Programme. And that a final decision will be made ‘in due course’.

Derriford is on the programme, receiving £25.2m in 2023/2. Rebecca hopes this will mean that the new Labour Government will honour its pledge to complete the vital new hospital infrastructure.