Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos has persuaded Health Ministers to meet with him and Somerset NHS Trust on the need for funding for a new Maternity and Paediatric Unit at Musgrove Park Hospital and to understand more about the trust’s work on mental health.
Mr Amos addressed the Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, and Health Minister, Stephen Kinnock, in Parliament saying that “Taunton and Wellington is a trailblazer in taking mental health from hospital to community and from sickness to prevention.
“The trust is the first in the country to merge mental health with the hospital trust” he stated in the House of Commons.
Replying, Mr Kinnock said: “It sounds like there is some interesting, dynamic and innovative work going on in the areas the Honourable Gentleman mentioned. I would be happy to meet him to discuss it further”.
During December, of the 7,291 patients seen in A&E at Musgrove, a total of 790 were not discharged, admitted or transferred within 12 hours of arrival and following treatment – 10.8% of the overall attendance.
The hospital also recently announced a “critical incident” as it faced extremely high demand on its services.
Mr Amos says the government needs to grip the crisis in Somerset’s health service which is “putting patients at risk.”
He added: “These figures show the true extent of the massive pressure on our NHS after years of under investment and lack of government attention by the last administration.
“We urgently need the investment for which Musgrove Park has been waiting for far too long.”