Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to reintroduce a 24-hour Accident and Emergency service at Cheltenham General Hospital.

This is a matter for the local National Health Service who are best placed to understand the healthcare needs of their local population. The Government is clear, however, that any changes should meet the Government’s four tests for service change: they should have support from general practitioner commissioners, be based on clinical evidence, demonstrate public and patient engagement, and consider patient choice.

Any proposals for urgent care developed by the local NHS as part of the Gloucestershire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership will be subject to full public consultation led by the local clinical commissioning group later this year.

The Department is advised that the local NHS remains committed to continued dialogue with local stakeholders on the urgent and emergency care offer as a whole to ensure that patients receive the safest, highest quality care and the best possible health outcomes into the future.