Four thousand people have signed a petition calling for Yeovil’s maternity unit to be re-opened as soon as possible. UNISON is calling on Somerset Council to clarify how it will operate services now that hundreds of staff have been made redundant. The Bishop of Bath and Wells says he’s concerned about amendments to the assisted dying bill...and more.
Four thousand people have signed a petition calling for Yeovil’s maternity unit to be re-opened as soon as possible. Maternity services at Yeovil Hospital were suddenly closed last week after an inspection report from the Care Quality Commission highlighted safety concerns within the unit. NHS Somerset Foundation Trust, which runs Yeovil Hospital, says it’s working hard to reopen the baby unit with the safety of mothers and their babies a top priority.
UNISON is calling on Somerset Council to clarify how it will operate services now that hundreds of staff have left the authority after being made redundant. The Council has cut around 850 staff positions in a bid to stave off bankruptcy and warns more jobs may have to go to balance the books.
A grant of 11-thousand pounds has been given to Ilminster’s Share and Repair Project. The cash has come from Somerset Community Foundation's Gooch Charitable Fund.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Reverand Michael Beasley, says he’s concerned that amendments to the assisted dying bill risk people having their lives ended for what he calls ‘dark motives’. The legislation, due to have its third reading in Parliament in June, would allow terminally ill adults, with less than six months to live, to end their lives with medical help. Bishop Beasley says he’s opposed to the bill and wants the government to invest more money in hospices and end-of-life care.
The Conservative group on Somerset Council has appointed a new Leader. Councillor Diogo Rodrigues takes over the role from Councillor Mandy Chilcott. Councillor Dawn Denton is the new Deputy Leader.
It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more
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