Graham Stuart continues to press the Government to explain what additional support it will provide to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and when.
In September, the Trust was placed in Segment 4 of the NHS acute trust league table, the lowest category. It faces significant challenges, including a backlog of elective treatments, long waiting times, and ongoing difficulties in meeting cancer care targets.
On the day the league table was published, Graham met with the interim Group CEO of the Trust, Lyn Simpson, to discuss her plans to improve performance and ensure that residents in Beverley and Holderness receive the high-quality care they rightly expect.
Graham welcomed Ms Simpson’s clear ambition for change, including her commitment to fostering a culture of high standards across the Trust. However, she cannot deliver this transformation alone.
To support her efforts, Graham wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, in September. In his letter, he welcomed the Government’s move to publish league tables but stressed that accountability must be accompanied by targeted support for struggling hospitals. He requested a meeting to discuss what assistance Hull Hospitals Trust will receive and the timeline for its delivery. At the time of writing, no response has been received.
Graham raised the issue again in Parliament in October at Health Questions. The Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, was unable to provide an answer. Following this, Graham wrote to the Minister requesting a meeting to discuss what more can be done to support Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust on its journey to improvement, and to ensure that patients receive the care they deserve. He has since requested an update from the Minister’s office regarding when a meeting can take place.
Last week, Graham held a follow up meeting with the interim Group CEO Lyn Simpson to review the Trust’s progress and next steps. Lyn outlined the immediate challenges, including early flu pressures, and explained how a new improvement plan, developed with clinical leaders, is driving performance changes. Both agreed to continue working closely to ensure that people in Beverley and Holderness receive the high-quality healthcare they expect and deserve.
Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, commented: “People in Beverley and Holderness rightly expect high quality care from their local NHS services.
“That is why I raised the Trust’s concerning league table position with its CEO on the very day it was published. Local people deserve better, and I’m encouraged by Ms Simpson’s determination to deliver this and the steps she is taking to deliver real change.
“But she cannot do it alone. The Trust needs prompt and practical support from the Government, and it is deeply disappointing that, three months after these league tables were published, Ministers have still not arranged to meet me.
They’ve given the diagnosis, now it’s time to provide the treatment so the Trust can get better and deliver the exceptional care people deserve.”
