[Wera Hobhouse MP in Twerton with Councillor Tim Ball and Councillor Sarah Moore]
Bath MP, Wera Hobhouse, is stepping into 2026 with the launch of a petition for a new neighbourhood health centre in Twerton and is urging the government to “restore local health services after years of Conservative neglect”.
The campaign comes after new research revealed that, since January, 321,299 GP appointments in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire have had waits of over 28 days, up from 169,675 at the same point five years ago, an increase of 89%.
The call comes alongside a national Lib Dem call for 8,000 more GPs across the country to deliver a right to an appointment at a GP practice within 7 days or 24 hours if urgent.
The new health centre, located in Twerton, would be open 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, and would follow a model that the NHS has offered support for nationally. This would see doctors, pharmacists, community nurses, occupational therapists, diagnostics and outpatient rehab all under one roof, delivering a range of services closer to local people. By bringing teams together, Mrs Hobhouse argues, people in Twerton could be seen more quickly and treated more effectively.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, commented:
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a new neighbourhood health centre for our community. With the NHS encouraging bids for new health centres nationally, we must seize this opportunity to repair the damage of Conservative neglect.
“Twerton did not have a fair deal on the NHS under the last government – and we face a real crisis in access to basic services, not least GPs. Every week, I meet more people who have to wait weeks to have alarming symptoms investigated. The truth is, our GPs and NHS staff across Bath have been pushed to breaking point.
“A new facility that gives doctors and nurses the tools they need, improves access to general practice, and introduces new community services, is a crucial step in delivering better, more accessible care for local people, and in banishing the 8 am scramble.”
Liberal Democrat Councillors for Twerton and Whiteway, Tim Ball and Sarah Moore, added:
“We are very pleased with the proposals for more localised health centres. We believe these plans will bring real benefits to the communities of Twerton and Whiteway, who often face challenges accessing the main services.”
The Bath MP is encouraging local people to get in touch and back the petition – which can be found at https://www.change.org/p/bath-neighbourhood-health-centre.
