North Devon District Hospital improvements delayed by at least 10 years
Work to rebuild North Devon District Hospital has been delayed by at least a decade, while Derriford's new emergency care centre will go ahead as planned.
It comes following a review by Labour into the New Hospital Programme, which was a manifesto promise by the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to build 40 new hospitals by 2030.
The Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed on Monday, 20 Jan, that the new emergency care centre at Plymouth's Derriford Hospital will be prioritised, along with the women and children's hospital in Truro.
Construction on both is expected to begin before 2030, but several other hospital improvement programmes, like North Devon District and Torbay Hospitals, have been pushed back.
Which hospitals are part of the programme?
The New Hospital Programme (NHP) was announced five years ago and was a promise by the Conservatives to build 40 new hospitals across England by 2030, which was estimated to cost £20 billion. The true cost has since soared and is now believed to be at around £30 billion.
The schemes in the West Country are:
£180m for the creation of Derriford Emergency Care Hospital in Plymouth
Improvements to Musgrove Park Hospital, including a new maternity unit
A £600m upgrade for North Devon District Hospital
£350 million for the creation of a new hospital in Torbay
The creation of a Women and Children's Hospital in Cornwall
What has the government announced?
After coming to power last year, Labour's Chancellor Rachel Reeves said "tough choices" would need to be made in a bid to deal with the "catastrophic" state of the public finances.
The hospitals scheme was paused after it was deemed by Wes Streeting as "undeliverable and unaffordable".
A review was then carried out while NHS bosses warned that patient safety was at risk.
Now the government has set out a timeline for when work on each of the West Country's schemes will commence:
Derriford Emergency Care Hospital, Plymouth - 2025 to 2026
Women and Children's Hospital, Cornwall - 2027 to 2028
Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton - 2032 to 2034
Torbay Hospital - 2032 to 2034
North Devon District Hospital - 2035 to 2038
The Department for Health and Social Care has classified the hospitals into three categories, with the first two falling into 'Wave One' of the newly revised programme.
Wes Streeting told MPs on Monday: “Projects in wave zero are already in the advanced stages of development and will be completed within the next three years.
“Wave one schemes will begin construction between 2025 and 2030", he added.
“Wave three includes nine schemes which will start construction between 2035 and 2039.
This means construction for the upgrade to North Devon District Hospital may not begin for up to 14 years, while work to rebuild Torbay has been put off for at least seven.
Commenting on the delay to Torbay, South Devon's Liberal Democrat MP, Caroline Voaden, said: "For years, Torbay Hospital was repeatedly let down by the Conservatives, and Labour are picking up where they left off.
"For the government to delay repairs to a hospital whose estate is nearly entirely unfit for purpose is unforgivable. This decision must urgently be reviewed; it's unacceptable that in 2024, patients are being treated in a hospital with a leaking roof, crumbling concrete and sewage running down the corridor."
Labour MP Jayne Kirkham, who represents Truro and Falmouth, said it's right that the government has prioritised both Derriford and the new women and children's hospital in Truro.
"I'm really really pleased that it's in the first wave and will be commenced before the end of the parliament. That enabling work has now been signed off, so we can get going on the ground work and finally deliver this project.
"Wes Streeting, when we came into power, was very honest, and said some of these projects would struggle. The money wasn't there. I'm so pleased it [women and children's hospital] has been prioritised by this Labour government now and it will be delivered."
Ms Kirkham said it's "really really frustrating" that other hospital upgrades have been delayed, but claimed the money simply wasn't there for the programmes beyond March 2025.
Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, said: "It's positive to see the Women and Children's Hospital at Treliske, as well as Derriford's Emergency Care Hospital, prioritised as 'Wave 1'.
"These projects are vital for the region and must get moving swiftly.
"But for my North Cornwall constituents who rely on North Devon [District] Hospital - with facilities that are quite literally crumbling... it is simply not good enough."
He added: "Patients need modern, reliable healthcare NOW."
Gideon Amos, Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington, said the improvements to Musgrove Park Hospital have come "far too late."
Sam Higginson, CEO at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has also criticised the announcement by the health secretary on Monday.
Mr Higginson said: “We are disappointed for both our staff and the communities of North Devon, that the critical nature of North Devon District Hospital and the need for urgent investment has not been fully recognised in today’s announcement.
“We have spoken publicly about the risks to our ability to continue to deliver health and care services which meet both our current and future needs. As the most remote hospital in mainland England, investing in our hospital services is vital to ensure they can continue caring for our local population for years to come.
“These further delays mean that we will need to assess the full details of this review rapidly and seek routes to funding to mitigate the most severe risks to our theatres and intensive care unit between now and 2035."