15/07/2026
🏥 PROGRESS ON QUEEN’S A&E + MORE UPDATES FROM INTERIM CEO 🏥
Last week I met Fiona Wheeler, the new Interim Chief Executive of Queen’s Hospital, to discuss issues residents regularly raise with me.
We discussed Baroness Amos’ review of maternity services, which has just reported after taking evidence from local families.
The review raised a number of concerns about the Trust, which we talked about in detail, despite progress being made following recent CQC reviews.
They are now working through an action plan of further improvements so that parents can be confident in the quality of care that they and their babies receive.
✅ A key part of our discussion was the Trust’s plan for a new A&E at Queen’s.
As many of you know, the department continues to operate under intense pressure.
I’ve repeatedly pressed Ministers and NHS leaders to support the hospital’s plans for a modern new A&E that can properly meet local demand.
The Trust is now seeking ÂŁ42 million for the project. Its final business case is expected to go to the Trust Board for approval at the end of July and if approved, construction could begin as early as November.
đź“‹ We also discussed concerns about waiting lists, including delays in radiology, cancer diagnosis and meeting the 18-week treatment target.
Some of these backlogs are linked to the rollout of the new Electronic Patient Record system, when certain services were paused.
The Trust is working with NHS regional teams to clear the remaining backlogs by November.