Yeovil stroke unit closure would be 'dangerous', MP says
Dance said data from the South Western Ambulance Service suggested only 13% of stroke patients in Yeovil could be treated within the target 180 minute window should plans go ahead, compared to 74% if Yeovil District Hospital retained its unit.
"That's a huge risk and that's why I'm pushing for the calling-in, because I don't think that's right," he told BBC Radio Somerset."The stroke unit is under threat, then the maternity unit, and now the closure of community beds at Crewkerne... it's a worrying time for residents," he added.Dance said he was calling for both the government and NHS Somerset to rethink the decision. A spokesperson for NHS Somerset ICB said the body "remained committed" to the changes, which would lead to fewer people dying or suffering serious disability."Once patients have received emergency stroke treatment, patients living in the south Somerset area will be able to continue any acute stroke care that might be needed at Yeovil District Hospital."A considerable amount of work has gone into this programme, including hugely valuable input from clinicians, staff, stroke survivors and their loved ones," the spokesperson added.The unit will remain open until the NHS is confident it can operate sufficiently in Dorchester and Taunton, the ICB said.The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
44 minutes ago
- The Independent
Moment 11-year-old girl learns she's finally getting a transplant
An 11-year-old girl, Ava Cooper, received life-changing news that a donor heart was available for transplant after waiting almost a year. Footage shared by Cleveland Clinic in Ohio shows the heart-warming moment Ava was told the news while on a call with her father. Ava, who has battled heart defects since she was a week old, had spent nearly 300 days at the hospital awaiting the transplant. A later clip shows Ava leaving the hospital to cheers from staff, marking the successful outcome of her long wait. Watch the video in full above.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Male bosses hugging junior female staff without consent is ‘misconduct'
Male bosses who hug junior female staff without their consent commit misconduct, a disciplinary panel has ruled. The committee's ruling comes in the case of Pradyuman Gadaria, an NHS hospital pharmacist, who hugged five junior female colleagues 'intensely' and for 'prolonged periods' over a six-year span. The female staff below Mr Gadaria said his hugs were 'difficult to avoid' and he was subsequently suspended by the General Pharmaceutical Council for 12 months. The hearing heard Mr Gadaria became qualified as a pharmacist in 2000 and worked for Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, eventually becoming a supervisor for foundation pharmacists. Mr Gadaria's alleged misconduct dates back to 2015, with five women coming forward to the General Pharmaceutical Council. 'All five female complainants allege unsolicited physical contact happening at work whilst on shift, including intense hugging, rubbing of backs and touching of bra straps,' the hearing was told. One pharmacist, referred to only as Colleague C, was 23 when she began working with Mr Gadaria 10 years ago. She told the committee that his hugs were 'difficult to avoid' and longer than they should be from a colleague. 'Overstep of professional boundaries' In 2019, after they had stopped working together, Mr Gadaria sent her a series of messages on Instagram, including one in response to a picture she posted of her roast dinner that said 'proof that ur wife material', which Colleague C said she found 'very odd'. The panel found that Mr Gadaria's actions towards Colleague C were an 'overstep of professional boundaries' but not sexual. However, the panel found his actions towards another co-worker, referred to as Colleague J, were sexually motivated. The pair worked together between March 2019 and Aug 2020, and Colleague J said that when Mr Gadaria hugged her, he would always touch her bra strap and rub his hand up and down her back. He repeatedly messaged her on Instagram, sending her the phrase 'wit woo' to imitate a builder's whistle when she posted a picture of her new haircut. Colleague J made a complaint in Dec 2020, and the Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust launched an internal investigation. Mr Garadia was dismissed in Nov 2022 as a result and his actions were investigated by the police, but no criminal charges were laid. The panel told the hearing: 'The committee accepts that there was an element of abuse of power inherent to [Mr Gadaria's actions].'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Hunger-driven A&E admissions spiral amid cost-of-living crisis
Hungry patients are overwhelming NHS emergency departments at unprecedented levels, researchers claim. Admissions to hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) units because of hunger have more than tripled, rising by nearly 219 per cent in five years, figures suggest. Analysis of NHS data shows a lack of food was the fastest growing cause of A&E admissions in England between 2018-19 and 2023-24, as food prices and poverty spiralled. As the cost-of-living crisis gripped the UK, experts repeatedly warned that households were being plunged into poverty, with food bank use soaring and charities finding parents going hungry so their children could eat. Health experts warned in 2022 that millions of people were facing a 'significant humanitarian crisis', exacerbated by rocketing fuel bills. In 2018-19, 70 patients needed emergency care for hunger, the statistics show, but the figure shot up to 230 after five years – a 218.5 per cent increase. Paula Lingard, of the ID Band Company, which analysed the NHS data, said: 'The significant rise in admissions related to lack of food is particularly concerning and may reflect growing food insecurity in England, highlighting the importance of addressing basic needs as part of our approach to public health.' Recently, the Resolution Foundation think tank said the outlook for living standards for UK households remains bleak for the rest of the 2020s, which it said could become 'the first decade of the modern era to witness no improvement in disposable incomes across Britain'. Household debts have continued to rise since last year. The biggest actual increase in A&E admission numbers over the five years was down to adverse reactions to standard medical procedures. Cases rose from 40,881 to 103,295 over the five years – a 144.9 per cent increase. Environmental pollution-related illnesses caused the second-biggest proportionate rise in admissions, increasing by 191 per cent in five years. Patient numbers tripled from 16 to 48. Surgical errors drove the third-highest percentage jump, with emergency figures rising 179.9 per cent. NHS records show 4,094 patients needed urgent treatment after medical mishaps in 2023-24, against 1,418 in 2018-19. Cardiovascular equipment problems more than doubled, from 325 to 775. But cases of self-harm fell, with deliberate drug overdoses dropping by nearly half between 2018 and 2024, from 12,298 to 6,499. Shotgun and rifle assault injuries dropped from 56 in 2018-19 to just 17. The Independent has approached the Department for Health and Social Care for comment.
