Torbay Hospital which serves the South Hams needs £2,823,200 to clear their repair backlogs

- It comes as the amount needed for hospital repairs across the country reached a record high of £11.6 billion - up over £1 billion on this time last year

£2,823,200 is needed to clear Torbay hospital's repair backlog, new analysis by the Liberal Democrats has found.

It comes as delays to patient treatment are causing great concern across Devon with patients potentially being treated in unsafe buildings. 

The national hospital repair bill reached a record high of £11.6 billion, last year, rising by over £1 billion. It comes as the NHS budget was slashed by £5 billion in real terms following the Autumn Statement. 

At the same time, surgery and treatment waiting lists are near record highs at 7.7 million.

South Hams Liberal Democrats are calling for the government to provide urgent investment in local hospital buildings to ensure they are safe and can function effectively. 

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for South Devon, Caroline Voaden said:

"This Conservative government has let our community's hospitals fall apart. The backlog of repairs is putting the patients and staff in Torbay Hospital at risk. It is completely unacceptable and utterly disgraceful that it has been allowed to come to this.

"People in Devon deserve to know that they can go and get the treatment they need in a safe environment. Not having to worry that they are being treated in a place that is collapsing around them.

"The Conservative party cannot be trusted with our NHS and cannot even be trusted to ensure the basic safety of staff and patients.

"Their neglect of our local health services is unforgivable."