North Devon Hospital Letter Passes 6,000 Signatures as Ian Roome MP Questions Prime Minister

During today’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Ian Roome MP once again questioned Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the government’s inaction on vital upgrades to North Devon District Hospital (NDDH). This follows the MP’s Open Letter to the Health Secretary gathering over 6,000 names.

Following the government’s announcement in January to delay the much-needed reconstruction of NDDH’s critical care facilities until 2035, Ian Roome MP launched an Open Letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, urging him to honour his pledge and visit North Devon’s hospital. Ian Roome MP emphasized the urgent need for this visit so Streeting could see first-hand how delayed funding threatens service disruption and the potential loss of operating theatre capacity. 

Since the letter’s launch, it has so far been signed by over 6,000 people across North Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall.

Today, Ian Roome MP urged the Prime Minister to step in and support the hospital Trust’s revised plan to keep operating theatres open. As the most remote acute hospital in mainland England, NDDH serves a vast population, many of whom face a three-hour round trip to the next nearest trauma unit, with limited public transport options. 

NDDH suffers from ageing facilities that are overdue for upgrade, with many areas of the hospital estate being almost 50 years old. At the same time, the hospital faces rising demand with an ageing population and the government’s new housing targets for the area. North Devon’s MP commented that these targets, which include a minimum increase of 6,500 homes over the next five years, will put further strain on the already overstretched hospital infrastructure.

North Devon’s MP, Ian Roome, said: 

“I’m aghast that the government is ignoring the scale of the risk to patients at North Devon District Hospital in the next few years.”

“Despite previous commitments to me, Health Secretary Wes Streeting still hasn’t visited North Devon District Hospital. And despite calls from us Lib Dems for transparency on how the News Hospital Programme came to its decisions, and to publish their risk assessments, we have all been left in the dark. There is a very real risk of service failure, yet the government seems to be ignoring the urgency of this situation.”

“I’ve been contacted by countless patients and NHS staff, incredibly worried about the future of our hospital. Some constituents in Lynton, for example, would be looking at a nine hours round trip by public transport to reach the next nearest hospital in Exeter. That’s unacceptable.”

“With North Devon’s ageing population, inadequate transport links, and the government’s new housing targets, how do they expect the hospital to cope without modern facilities? It’s completely unrealistic.”

“This funding and construction are absolutely vital for futureproofing our healthcare services in North Devon and I will not back down in pushing the Government for action.”