Amos calls for investment at Musgrove

Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Taunton and Wellington has called for investment to improve services at Musgrove Park Hospital.

His remarks came after a report by the Care Quality Commission stated that maternity services at the hospital were not up to standard.

The commission has issued a warning notice to Musgrove Park to focus the trust’s attention to “maintain rapid and sustained improvement in the care of people using the service".

Mr Amos said: “Many staff at Musgrove work incredibly hard despite difficult conditions so we’re clearly going to need to see some investment to get services back on track.

“It’s noticeable that the inspectors pointed to the ‘poor condition’ of maternity buildings as a key ‘challenge’.

“We were promised – by the Conservatives at the last General Election – an entirely new hospital in Taunton.

“Instead, the reality is staff are dodging buckets under the leaking roofs of the maternity unit.

“The last major project at Musgrove – the surgical unit now being completed – was approved back in 2008. All the Conservatives have done is talk a lot and fail to deliver.

“They’re still sitting on their hands as the rain comes in, underfunding local authority social care and letting dentistry disappear.

“It’s no wonder hospitals are unable to cope, and rates of mouth cancer are on the increase.

“As Liberal Democrats we would restore the tax on bank profits to fund our care services.”