Prime Minister confirms ministerial visit to North Devon District Hospital

The Prime Minister has announced today (April 2) during PMQs that a ministerial visit will be organised to visit North Devon District Hospital.

The confirmation came during a PMQ session with North Devon MP Ian Roome, who pressed Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the government to honour its pledge after delaying NDDH’s critical care reconstruction until beyond 2035.

The MP had urged the Prime Minister to make the decision after many attempts over the past few months, with Mr Roome stressing that delayed funding threatens service disruption and the potential loss of operating theatre capacity.

Today, this was confirmed. Mr Roome hopes “that a first-hand visit will drive home the urgency of the situation.”

The confirmation of the ministerial visit follows an open letter from Ian Roome to Wes Streeting, urging action on funding and the critical care redevelopment at North Devon District Hospital

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

In a statement, the MP expressed that NDDH suffers from ageing facilities that are overdue for an upgrade, with many areas of the hospital estate being almost 50 years old. 

He noted that 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.

Mr Roome said that he will not “back down in pushing the Government for action.”

He told the Gazette: “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. This funding and construction are absolutely vital for future-proofing our healthcare services in North Devon.”

Although it is not clear when this visit is to take place, it is expected to bring attention to the ongoing concerns surrounding the hospital's future.