Yeovil Hospital Maternity Unit 2025-06-03

Opened the debate

I start by thanking the fantastic staff at Yeovil district hospital’s maternity unit and paediatric staff across the country for their hard work. In January, the Care Quality Commission inspected paediatric services at Yeovil district hospital and issued a section 29A notice due to staffing and governance issues. On Monday 12 May, the hospital decided to temporarily close the special care baby unit and maternity unit from 19 May, initially for six months, transferring care of pregnant people to other hospitals like Musgrove Park in Taunton. My priority is my constituents’ health and safety; despite patient safety being paramount, the decision process has been disgraceful, creating fear and anger in Yeovil. The hospital leadership waited until the last minute with little consultation, insulted staff by informing them only six days before closure, and did not provide advanced information to expectant parents or fundraisers. I am concerned about capacity issues at other hospitals like Musgrove Park, which are already overburdened, and potential risks for high-risk pregnancies. This closure may also impact Yeovil’s emergency department and affect families' decisions to have children in the area. While this is a local issue, trust in hospital leadership has broken down, necessitating central Government intervention. I urge the Department of Health and Social Care to review the decision-making process at Somerset NHS foundation trust on the closure of maternity services and maintain safe, high-quality services in Yeovil district hospital.

Government Response

Thank you to my hon. Friend Adam Dance for raising this important issue and for his campaign to restore Yeovil’s maternity unit. I echo his sentiments in thanking the staff at Yeovil for their incredible work. After the announcement, I set up a petition which gathered significant responses. Somerset NHS foundation trust made the decision following a clinical assessment that services could not continue operating safely, which is damning. This closure has shocked many residents across Glastonbury and Somerton, as it did my hon. Friend. The impact on communities will be great, reinforcing the need for careful assessment of similar issues in other hospitals. I thank the hon. Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) for securing this important debate about the temporary closure of maternity services at Yeovil district hospital... The decision is a damning indictment of how our health services have been treated, and how they have been run into the ground following the Conservatives’ regular cuts... I understand that work is currently under way to mitigate the impact of the closure and move towards safe operation of services. The NHS England South West regional team is working with the trust and the ICB to mitigate the risk of the closure and ensure that the wider systems work together to provide safe services... We are committed to tackling staffing challenges that the NHS faces, such as this one... I thank the hon. Member for Yeovil again for raising this important issue.