MP hits out at minister over Torbay Hospital fire risk: 'I expect better of her'
Health Minister Karin Smyth has refused to meet with South Devon MP Caroline Voaden and Torbay MP Steve Darling to discuss the future of Torbay Hospital’s Tower Block, which has been deemed unsafe in the event of a fire, with up to a quarter of the hospital’s beds potentially being moved while improvements are made.
South Hams MP Caroline Voaden has criticised the Health Minister for declining to meet her and Torbay MP Steve Darling to discuss urgent fire safety funding for Torbay Hospital, where up to a quarter of beds could have to be moved.
The third oldest hospital in the country, Torbay recently received a fire enforcement notice from Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and a warning from the Care Quality Commission that its Tower Block is unsafe in the event of a fire.
The findings mean up to a quarter of the hospital’s beds could have to be moved while improvements are carried out.
Ms Voaden and Mr Darling raised the issue again in Parliament today (October 20), calling for a meeting with Health Minister Karin Smyth to discuss urgent funding to fix the Tower Block’s fire safety problems.
Ms Smyth declined. She said funding had already been allocated and reminded them of Torbay Hospital’s place on the New Hospital Programme, under which work is due to begin in 2032 at the earliest.
The hospital was given £1.8 million in September to support fire safety work, but that falls well short of the estimated £8 million needed to make the Tower Block fully safe.
Ms Voaden expressed her frustration at the lack of co-operation from the minister.
She said: “The Minister has repeatedly refused to engage with either Steve Darling or myself on this issue.
“She claims she met with Steve and the hospital received some funding - all true, but that was before the Tower Block was ruled unsafe.”
Mr Darling said he met Ms Smyth on September 9, well before the fire notice was served on the hospital.
Ms Voaden said patient safety and hospital capacity were now at stake, and that urgent talks and funding were needed.
She said: “We are now facing the loss of up to a quarter of the beds in the hospital while the tower block is made safe and yet the Health Minister refuses to meet with us or discuss the crisis we are in.”
She added: “It’s dismissive and frankly not good enough.
“I expect better of her and of this government.”
Torbay Weekly contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for a response to the criticism.
A department spokesperson told Torbay Weekly: “Minister Smyth is always happy to meet Members of Parliament to discuss their local hospital facilities, as she has done in the past with Mr Darling, and will do again.
“The fact is that this Government inherited a broken NHS with many hospital buildings in a dangerous state of disrepair. After years of delays, we have now put Torbay Hospital on a realistic and sustainable footing to be rebuilt as part of the New Hospital Programme.
“We are also providing £6.75 billion across the country through the Estates Safety Fund to ensure safe environments for healthcare delivery, and we expect every Trust to take all necessary steps as a matter of urgency to protect their patients.”