Jonathan Higman, NHS Somerset Chief Executive, said: “We recognise that the temporary closure of the maternity unit and special care baby unit at Yeovil District Hospital remains deeply concerning for local people and staff alike. As the commissioner of the services, we asked Somerset NHS Foundation Trust to provide us with a detailed update about their progress to reopen those services at a three-month review meeting. I am very pleased to confirm that the trust has told us that they are committed to fully reopening the services and providing safe, high quality and sustainable care for those who need them. They recognise the disruption caused by this change and we apologise to anyone who has been affected.
“As the commissioner of these services for the local population, NHS Somerset has been working closely with the Trust to assure ourselves as to their ability to safely provide the maternity service in Yeovil following the CQC inspection in January and we continue to support and oversee the improvements in paediatrics required to reopen the service in a safe and sustainable way. This includes actively trying to recruit to key clinical roles in the hospital and making the necessary improvements outlined in their recent CQC inspection.
“While it is not possible at this stage to provide a definitive date that the service will reopen, we have formally asked the trust to provide another update in November, three-months on from this review, to include a date for reopening. We have asked the trust to work with staff and stakeholders to make sure the services are ready to reopen as soon as possible.
“Since the announcement we have been closely monitoring public and patient concerns and raising those with teams in Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which has been supporting women and birthing people to get the support and advice they need. We are also working with neighbouring trusts, including Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and thank them for continuing to provide care to service users from Somerset while the temporary closure is in place.
“As we have said before, we are committed to a fully functioning district general hospital in Yeovil. We hope local people are reassured by the good progress made towards reopening the maternity unit and I look forward to confirming the date when births will return to Yeovil Hospital soon.”
