Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has issued an apology after it emerged that a newborn baby was placed in a maternity ward at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, where mould was present on the ceiling and walls. The Trust confirmed that it identified the mould issue earlier this month and acted quickly to address the situation.
Local resident Nick Kilby raised the alarm after his newborn daughter was placed in the affected area. In a letter to local MP Gideon Amos, Kilby described the conditions as unacceptable for a hospital environment. “The ward should be a clinically safe place to bring new lives into the world – it’s absolute madness,” he said. “I wouldn’t tolerate this in my own home and certainly don’t expect to see it in a hospital.”
According to a spokesperson for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, the maternity unit occupies a building nearly 80 years old and is no longer fit for modern healthcare needs. While the Trust has already made several improvements—including installing air conditioning units, updating shower facilities, and adding fire doors—the need for a new maternity unit is urgent.
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The building is slated for replacement under the government’s New Hospitals Programme, but construction is not expected to start until 2033. The Trust is actively seeking investment alongside the Department of Health and Social Care to expedite these plans.
In the interim, ongoing maintenance and repairs continue, with efforts focused on sustaining safe and high-quality care standards. Recent upgrades to maternity and neonatal services include a new triage area, 10 additional maternity beds, and a dedicated transitional care space, allowing mothers to stay close to babies needing extra support.
Regarding the mould incident, the Trust confirmed the maternity team promptly reported the issue to estates and facilities staff, who responded immediately to resolve it.
Since the Care Quality Commission’s inspection in November 2023, the Trust has implemented several improvements: enhanced governance, updated policies, improved staff training compliance, new emergency equipment acquisition, and a standardized triage process.
Support services remain available to families through the Trust’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service and the independent Somerset Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership.
Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos continues to campaign for the maternity unit’s rebuild to be accelerated. Highlighting the facility’s dire conditions, he noted, “In the summer, staff are fainting in 30°C heat in World War Two–era buildings; in winter, leaks cause holes and buckets lining corridors. Even roof guttering has been installed inside the building to manage the water.”
Working closely with the hospital trust, Amos has secured agreement from Minister of State for Secondary Care Karin Smyth to discuss advancing the new maternity unit’s construction timetable.