South Devon Lib Dem MPs warns NHS league tables risk deepening postcode lottery in care

Devon MPs Liberal Democrat Steve Darling (Torbay), Caroline Voaden (South Devon) and Martin Wrigley (Newton Abbot) have responded to the Government’s new hospitals league table, warning that they reveal a stark postcode lottery in NHS care, while urging Ministers to deliver the real improvements patients need.

The tables rank every NHS trust in England, with Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust ranked 71 and the local South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust ranked 9 out of 10. 

Since their election last year, the three local MPs have tirelessly campaigned for improvements to local health services. Their efforts include advocating for a £350 million investment to upgrade Torbay Hospital, opposing the proposed relocation of crucial coronary services to Exeter over concerns for patient safety, and fighting to save Paignton's Ambulance Station. They have also consistently highlighted the ongoing "all-year-round crisis" in the NHS, urging the government to take urgent action to tackle issues such as long waiting times and the need for a major recruitment drive for healthcare professionals.

Steve Darling, Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay said:

“These figures lay bare the growing inequality in our NHS. Under the Conservatives, access to care has become increasingly unfair and a postcode lottery. 

“What we must avoid is a vicious circle, where lower-ranked hospitals struggle even more to attract staff and resources, and patients lose confidence in seeking care. The priority must be fixing the basics: recruiting and retaining frontline staff, boosting morale, and making sure every community gets the quality of care it deserves.

“The Liberal Democrats will be pressing the Secretary of State to set out what actions the Government is going to take to deliver the real, urgent improvements across the NHS that families up and down the country need to see.”

Caroline Voaden, Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon added:

“Under the Conservatives, access to care increasingly became unfair and a postcode lottery. Sadly, Labour has done little in the last year to buck this trend. In fact, the £256m worth of cuts they are making to NHS services in Devon with little to no consultation will only exacerbate the problem. The Liberal Democrats are calling for greater transparency and consultation around these cuts, and a plan from the Health Secretary to address the growing problem of health inequality.”

Martin Wrigley, Liberal Democrat MP for Newton Abbot: 

"These “league tables” could prove very damaging for the NHS, and achieve exactly the opposite to what the Government is claiming.  The results are very telling, the top spots are all held by Specialist Hospitals, which cannot be compared to acute general hospitals.  There were 30 scoring metrics, including waiting times and financial position, which often don’t give a true picture of how well performing a hospital is. 

“Whilst I agree that the NHS is desperately in need of improvement after 14 years of mismanagement by the previous Conservative Government, and suffering huge cuts at the hand of the current Government, especially in the South West, measuring performance and publishing league tables isn’t helpful, as this could potentially create a tiered service, with patients refusing treatment at hospitals lower down the list, therefore increasing wait times at the better rated Trusts.  The Government should spend more time on finding ways to improve hospitals across the country, rather than publishing arbitrary scores which could prove damaging.”