Ben Howlett, Bath’s MP, has used a parliamentary debate on A&E Services to call on the Secretary of State for Health to ensure that the RUH receives the winter funding that it needs.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Howlett said: “I very much hope that the Secretary of State will continue to find the investment that is needed in our A&Es to keep up with the pressures; think about the need to encourage better access to primary care and community care; and reduce the burdens of bureaucracy that have afflicted our NHS for so long.”
He went on to argue why investment is crucial for the RUH to allow it to effectively treat people in Bath, by saying: “We are clearly not going to be able to provide the high-quality care that is needed without proper investment.
“I am pleased that this Government has decided to take on board the recommendations of Simon Stevens and invest a further £8 billion in the NHS.
“That, of course, will have a significant positive effect on A&Es. Last year, the Government invested a record total of £700 million, ensuring local services had the certainty of additional money and time to plan how best to use it.
“I know from speaking to people at the Royal United Hospital in my constituency that this additional investment has really helped.”
Mr Howlett concluded his speech by warning that the effective treatment of Bath residents in the RUH could be at risk because of the bureaucracy of targets.
He continued: “A&E standards have been an important means of ensuring that people who need to get rapid access to urgent and emergency care do so, and we must not lose that focus.
“I also agree that with him that we do not need to review the four-hour standard at this time and that we need to look at a wider range of measures if we are to drive improved outcomes across the entire system.”
