Crewkerne beds must be protected, says Dance, as he joins calls for care reform

Adam Dance, Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil, has called on Somerset NHS leaders to give firm guarantees on the future of beds at Crewkerne Community Hospital. He warned that “engagement” cannot be used as a substitute for formal consultation with the community.

The MP said he has received a growing number of messages from concerned residents and has raised the issue directly with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and the Integrated Care Board.

He confirmed that while NHS leaders have reassured him the hospital is not closing and no formal decision has yet been made on beds, the community deserves greater clarity and a proper voice in the process.

Mr Dance said:

“I have made it clear that the beds at Crewkerne must be protected. They are essential in preventing bed blocking, easing pressure on acute hospitals, and helping people recover safely in the right setting. Losing them now would be short sighted and deeply damaging.”

He welcomed the idea of more services being delivered locally, such as diagnostics or chemotherapy, but said these must come on top of, not instead of, the hospital’s current provision.

“As a Liberal Democrat, I believe in accessible, community based care that puts prevention, dignity and local need at the centre of the system. That includes protecting community hospitals and making sure people are treated in the right place at the right time, not left stuck in hospital beds because there is nowhere else for them to go.”

The NHS Ten Year Plan encourages care closer to home, but Mr Dance warned that ambitions cannot be delivered by removing local beds without proper alternatives in place.

He also criticised the Trust’s recent focus on “engagement” and said that if any major changes are being considered, a formal public consultation must follow.

“The NHS belongs to us all. Local people must be fully consulted and given a genuine say in the future of their hospital. Anything less would be unacceptable.”

With NHS Somerset launching a summer engagement programme, Mr Dance is urging residents to take part and make their views heard.

He added:

“I will continue to press for transparency, proper consultation, and the protection of our community hospitals. Crewkerne is a vital part of our health system and it must remain so.”