Yeovil community group protest changes to local stroke service
Around 50 local residents gathered outside Yeovil Hospital to save their stroke unit
Last updated 24th Jan 2025
A group of local campaigners gathered outside Yeovil Hospital on Friday (24th January) to protest the removal of Yeovil’s hyper-acute stroke unit.
The NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) voted in January 2024 to approve the plans, which will see the most urgent stroke patients transported to either Dorchester or Taunton for treatment.
Yeovil will keep its acute stroke provision, so will continue to see to patients where the stroke is less life-threatening.
The decision has proved immensely unpopular with local residents with more than 11,000 people signing a petition to save the service.
“We would like the ICB to reconsider, do the right thing, keep it open and safeguard the hundreds of people who rely on it,” said Ray Tostevin, from the Quicksilver Community Group.
“The idea that moving patients further away to Taunton or Dorchester will somehow make the care better – that just doesn’t wash.
“Obviously the people who rely on a unit in Dorset should have access to one in Dorchester but that shouldn’t be at the expense of the one in Yeovil.
“It’s not either-or, it’s both. There’s a need for both,” he added.
Local MP Adam Dance has previously raised the issue in the House of Commons, but the Government said it won't 'call in' the NHS decision or intervene.
Mr Dance said in an online statement: “I’m deeply disappointed with the decision not to intervene in the closure of Yeovil’s HASU.
“This service is vital for our community, and I will continue to fight to protect it for the people of Yeovil and South Somerset.”
NHS Somerset have defended the decision and say the changes will eliminate variation across services.
Dr Bernie Marden, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Somerset, said: “The decision we took last January was the right one for the people of Somerset and we expect the new service to go live by early 2026.
"The implementation phase is well underway and is being led by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
“The importance of fast treatment at a Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) is undisputed and our decision aims to make sure patients receive that level of expert care at any time of day or night in Taunton and Dorchester.
"Somerset NHS Foundation Trust have confirmed to us that the stroke service at Yeovil District Hospital recently trialled providing an on-site seven-day consultant-led service.
"This trial was stopped before Christmas because it was proved to be unsustainable with the number of consultants who work at the hospital.
“The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care recently decided that all requests to ‘call in’ our January 2024 decision do not meet the threshold for ministerial intervention.
“The Government also confirmed that NHS Somerset is best placed to determine the needs of our local population - and we will continue to work closely with partners, patient groups, staff and local MPs, including through our Stroke Stakeholder Reference Group, which is well established and is independently chaired by Healthwatch Somerset, to make sure local voices are heard through the implementation phase.”