Statement from Adam Dance MP on the closure of Yeovil's Maternity Unit - 21 May 2025

“I remain deeply concerned by the temporary closure of Yeovil Maternity Unit and the impact this has on families across our community. I’ve now received letters from both Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Somerset, and I welcome their acknowledgement of local concerns and their commitment to provide an update in three months’ time.

This is a vital local service, and I know many people have been left worried and uncertain about what comes next. While safety rightly must come first, we must also make sure that any disruption is handled transparently and with local voices at the heart of the conversation.

It is encouraging to hear that NHS Somerset has requested a formal review in August and that the Trust is committed to maintaining a fully functioning District General Hospital in Yeovil. I will continue to engage with both the Trust and the ICB, pushing for clarity and ensuring that all decisions are made with the best interests of patients and staff in mind.

We need a clear path forward—one that ensures safe, accessible and sustainable maternity care in Yeovil. That includes listening to the concerns of local midwives and healthcare professionals, many of whom have raised important points about workforce pressures and the challenges of service delivery across the county.

I remain absolutely committed to holding NHS leaders to account and will continue to keep pressure on them and work constructively to support efforts to restore maternity services in Yeovil as soon as it is safe to do so. Families deserve a health service they can trust, and I will continue doing all I can to make that a reality.”