Guest Column: Bassetlaw Hospital's issues are still not being answered

Overall, the report offered old-fashioned solutions that have been tried elsewhere and failed.

The challenges facing Bassetlaw Hospital are a lack of funding and a shortage of staff.

The report fails to address these issues head on and instead, bland and meaningless solutions are offered in my view.

If the review was serious about improving services across this area, it would start by merging the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Ambulance Services.

Instead, there are promises of further consultation and committees but no concrete action.

The report rightly recognises the challenges faced by the maternity units and children’s wards across this area.

Therefore, this week, I have called for Sheffield Children’s Hospital to step in and help manage Bassetlaw children’s ward.

Sheffield is a specialist hospital with a great deal of knowledge on the specific needs of children.

If the report concluded this, it would be a positive move.

As for the maternity unit, the report cited staff shortages as a real challenge for hospitals in this area.

I have been highlighting this for a while, I have raised it with the Health Secretary in Parliament and am currently working with the Department for Health to bring training courses on-site for nurses at Bassetlaw.

I am glad that the review is going to look at more vocational routes into working for the NHS.

Mothers should be able have their baby in their own county, close to their homes and family.

It is unacceptable that women may have to travel to Doncaster just to give birth.

I will always fight for Bassetlaw Hospital to provide world-class care for all those who need it.

For too long, cuts to NHS budgets have only resulted in a strain on services and longer waiting times.

I will continue to prioritise better services and proper solutions to the challenges faced by Bassetlaw Hospital.