A PUBLIC consultation on proposals to close Dartmouth and three other South Devon hospitals has come a step closer.

South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning group’s governing board today gave the go ahead to ask the public’s views on plans to change bed-based hospital care to health and wellbeing teams that support people within their communities.

If NHS England, which leads the national health service, gives its go ahead next month, a 12 week public consultation will be launched over proposals to replace Dartmouth, Paignton, Ashburton and Buckfastleigh and Bovey Tracey hospitals with community facilities designed to provide care closer to patients’ homes.

Dartmouth Town Council is due to discuss the possible closure of the town’s hospital and clinic at a special meeting tonight at 6pm in the Guildhall.

The new approach would see £3.9m invested in community services, and health and social care staff working more closely in new town-based health and wellbeing centres with the local voluntary sector. Minor injury units would be reduced from seven to three – in Newton Abbot, Totnes and Dawlish – but they wwill be open seven days a week, with more consistent opening hours and x-ray facilities.

Dartmouth MP and chairman of the Commons Health Select committee Dr Sarah Wollaston, wants to see more details of proposed replacement services to be included in the consultation for the public to be able to give a proper opinion.

Dr Nick Roberts, the CCG’s chief clinical officer, said: ‘If NHS England approves the proposals, we will host a series of public meetings across South Devon and Torbay, where people will be able to hear the proposals in detail and feedback to us their views.

‘People can give us their thoughts on where we are as a health and care community now and what changes are possible to make our services sustainable for the future.

‘As I have said before, these proposals are about people rather than buildings. The local NHS feels that, in terms of general community care, people should only be admitted to hospital when medically necessary, and I think most people would agree with that.

‘We want to create services that are more effective, closer to home, affordable and, in terms of MIUs, offer a real alternative to A&E, which will be very important for South Devon and Torbay.’

If the proposals are approved by NHS England, dates for the public meetings will be announced and full details of the proposals will be published on the CCG’s website.

A public questionnaire will also be provided, and the independent Healthwatch organisations in Devon and Torbay will collate the public feedback.

See next week’s Dartmouth Chronicle for reaction