Sir Geoffrey Cox has confirmed that all parties are working to end the temporary suspension of maternity services at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, despite local claims that he is not getting involved.
Although the hospital is not in his constituency, North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire has been vocal on the issue. He and Ian Roome, the MP for North Devon, wrote to the Secretary of State to request an urgent meeting about the situation.
Some locals said they had not heard from Sir Geoffrey, whose Torridge and Tavistock constituents would also be affected by the loss of the service. In response to an earlier article in which Mr Maguire called the suspension a "matter of grave concern", James Burn said: "Ian Roome totally on the case unlike Geoffrey Cox." Colin Paddon added: "Wow, good man! An MP from another constituency getting involved! No sign of the MP for Torridge and West Devon though."
Sir Geoffrey, who represents Torridge and Tavistock, has confirmed that he also wrote to the Secretary of State calling for action to reopen the maternity services. He said he is "disappointed" that he has not yet received a response.
He said: "I have continued to receive correspondence from concerned families and expectant mothers regarding the temporary suspension of maternity services at North Devon District Hospital, and I fully appreciate the anxiety and uncertainty this is causing. Given the urgency of the situation, I am in constant dialogue with the Trust, but I remain disappointed that I have yet to receive a response to my letter to the Secretary of State.
"The trust continues to hold weekly stakeholder updates. I was encouraged to hear that progress is being made both in securing additional locum support for maternity services at North Devon District Hospital and in identifying prospective candidates for permanent consultant posts.
"There is, of course, still considerable work to be done. The usual recruitment processes and clinical safeguards must be completed before any appointments can be confirmed, and these developments represent only the first step towards restoring services. Nevertheless, all parties are working hard to bring this temporary suspension to an end as quickly as possible. I shall continue to demand that as a minimum.
"It is essential that any solution not only enables services to resume safely but also provides the resilience necessary to ensure that we do not find ourselves facing a similar situation again in the future."
He also praised the staff, having recently visited the hospital's Ladywell Unit, which houses key services for women, children and families. He added: "In May this year, I visited the Ladywell Unit and saw first-hand the professionalism, dedication and commitment of the staff who provide this vital service. I will continue to keep constituents informed of developments as they arise."
Geoffrey Cox Responds to Maternity Services Outcry