Plymouth Labour MP wants Boris Johnson apology for Derriford Hospital 'broken promises'

A Plymouth Labour MP wants Boris Johnson to apologise for "broken promises" over the funding of Derriford's new A&E, while a local Conservative MP has accused the government of "finding money for the things it cares about".

Fred Thomas, the MP for Plymouth Moor View, says he's "outraged that the former Prime Minister misled Plymouth over funding for Derriford's new A&E", and has demanded an apology.

But Rebecca Smith, the new Tory MP for South West Devon, says the Derriford A&E programme is "shovel ready" and has claimed the "government is finding money for the things it cares about or deem a political priority."

Under the new Labour government, a hospital building programme originally promised by the Tories has been paused because it was deemed by the new health secretary as "undeliverable and unaffordable".

Labour's decision to pause or even scrap some of the projects has been criticised by some NHS bosses, who have warned that patient safety is being put at risk while the flagship scheme is reviewed.

Johnny Mercer, the former Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View, announced in early 2023 that Derriford Hospital had secured £180million for the first phase of the redevelopment of the emergency department.

Now in a letter to the former PM, Mr Thomas, who unseated Mr Mercer in July, says: "Your former Conservative MP announced time and again that we would see a new A&E. But we now know the money was never there."

Ms Smith, who is also campaigning for the Derriford build to go ahead, insists that the £180million was "secured from the previous government" and was "hard earned".

In a petition being presented to parliament, Ms Smith says she is "totally committed to holding the new Labour government to account and, with your support, will campaign against these detrimental Labour NHS cuts".

"I welcome the fact that the Government is still considering this essential scheme," Ms Smith adds in the petition.

"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.

"However, 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."

Mr Thomas says in his letter to Mr Johnson: "Derriford has the UK’s longest ambulance handover delays, crowding in the emergency department, and insufficient space to provide care. The hospital has declared five critical incidents this year. The need for a new A&E remains clear, and I am campaigning strongly for it.

"However, my campaign will also be honest with the people I represent about the scale of challenges we face. These challenges are inherited from a legacy of Tory neglect."

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