Why does the Torbay and South Devon NHS?Trust consider the existing hospital unsuitable as a health and well-being centre?

We assume, perhaps cynically, that it wishes to get its hands on a very valuable site, the sale of which would help improve the parlous state of its finances.

The last thing this town needs is yet another block of over-priced flats for wealthy retirees. What we do need is a suitable and convenient well-being centre.

We know we will never again have a fully fledged hospital and, as River View appears to be dead, many of us think our much-loved hospital should be looked at again as a health centre.

1) The building already exists so there would be no new building costs. The clinic could be sold off to underwrite any alterations to the hospital and the whole project could be up and running in months, whereas any new build could take years.

2) All activities at the clinic, the doctor’s surgery and Dartmouth Caring could be accommodated under one roof.

3) All bus routes, such as they are, are within 100 yards of the hospital.

4) At present, the doctors have five parking spaces outside the surgery and staff at the clinic have three – Dartmouth Caring have no spaces. There are 14 spaces at the hospital, sufficient for current staff with perhaps one or two for visitors.

5) There appears to be a shortage of beds in the town for intermediate and end-of-life care, whereas there is ample room in the hospital.

Finally, the town has a moral right to the hospital and its contents, much of which supplied by the League of Friends.

Although the hospital was nationalised in 1948, residemnts appear to have been excluded from any decision-making process and kept very much in the dark.

The trust has been exceedingly poor in the communication department and incredibly inept over River View.

Perhaps the trust would care to address these issues and consult the town on any future plans it may have.

Edmund Cranmer

Broadstone, Dartmouth