Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Gummer and Robin Walker

Tuesday 5th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Robin Walker (Worcester) (Con)]

May I thank the Minister for his helpful answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Mark Garnier)? Further to that question, having recently met the clinical leadership at Worcester Royal hospital, they are adamant that they want permanent management in place at the hospital. The Care Quality Commission report said that the number of interim directors was one reason why it was put into special measures. Can the Minister reassure me that he will be doing everything he can to put in place permanent long-term management at the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust as quickly as possible?

[Ben Gummer]

I can assure my hon. Friend of precisely that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Gummer and Robin Walker

Tuesday 13th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Robin Walker (Worcester) (Con)]

12. What steps his Department is taking to manage and meet demand for A&E services in Worcester.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Ben Gummer)]

Last month, the Department approved a £4 million capital improvement loan for the expansion of the A&E department at Worcestershire Royal hospital and the development of a dedicated discharge lounge. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and the local health system will also receive practical support via the emergency care improvement programme to help the trust to address the challenges it has faced in meeting the four-hour A&E waiting time standard.

[Mr Walker]

I thank the Minister for his reply. I warmly welcome his recent decision to approve the £4 million interim investment in A&E capacity and a new discharge suite at the Worcestershire Royal. As he knows, demand remains very high, and the number of patients being admitted to hospital is close to record levels. May I urge him and his colleagues to look very carefully and urgently at plans for further upgrades, which could deliver much-needed capacity over the coming years?

[Ben Gummer]

I assure my hon. Friend that we will do so, but he will be conscious that capital plans are the responsibility of individual trusts. I urge his trust to take part fully in the Worcestershire acute review and in other reviews of the west midlands health service. There are challenges, and we will fix the problems only if there are locally sourced solutions, which we will then seek to support.