A PLAN to future-proof health care in Dartmouth is being drawn up amid worries over increased pressures on doctors and cuts to the hospital's minor injuries unit.

Dartmouth Medical Pract­ice and its patients support group wants to see the town's hospital and all health care moved to a new umbrella site in the town, with state-of-the-art facilities and adequate parking.

The proposal would see the relocation of the medical practice in Victoria Road to a site probably in Townstal, working in conjunction with the Dartmouth clinic and the cottage hospital.

And the Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group has promised that planning for future health care provision in the town is a high priority – and that the community will be fully involved in the process.

'How healthy is health care in Dartmouth?' asked Dr Andrew Eynon-Lewis at last Thursday's annual meeting of the practice patients' group.

'I believe there is a real opportunity for us to jump ahead and anticipate the things that might be in the air down the line and to create a one site for all the health care provision in Dartmouth,' he said.

'There's lots of stuff that has to be done to make that happen but I think one of the key things is having a will to make it happen and my belief and understanding is that the CCG is fully behind it and I really believe that these changes will make a very positive difference to future-proofing health care in Dartmouth.'

More than 150 people packed into the Townstal Community Hall to hear discussions on a range of medical topics, including the future of the hospital on South Embankment and the provision of associated medical facilities for the town.

Dr Eynon-Lewis said now the CCG had seemed to resolve health care changes at Teignmouth and Dawlish there was a real opportunity to get it to focus on the needs of Dartmouth.

'And I know they are very high on the list of priorities,' he said.

'Discussions are taking place within the next few weeks to see how we can create a plan to take things forward.

'There is a real head of steam here. There is an acknowledgement about the minor injuries unit and in a funny sort of way that may drive things. Though it's painful to many in some ways, it provides us with a bit of a thrust to take things forward.'

Dr Eynon-Lewis said the present hospital was expensive to maintain and the doctors' medical practice had no room to expand or take on or train extra staff, such as associate physicians.

'It's not just about the short term for today, it's thinking ahead by 10-15 years and about making sustainable choices,' he said. 'We can recruit people and develop health care staff of different competences.

Sallie Ecroyd, of the Torbay Clinical Commiss­ioning Group, said they wanted to get things right.

'I can assure you it is a high priority for the CCG at the moment,' she said.

'I was at a meeting last night which was looking at the needs of Dartmouth in 20 years' time. We are extracting all our data to look at what kind of picture there would be and we know we have the differing age profiles. Down in the old town we have more elderly people and in Townstal there is a much younger population. So we are really trying to get this right because we wouldn't want to plan for now.'

But she said it would be a 'big step'.

'And we need to make sure we are getting it right,' she said.

'We will formulate ideas with you and ask you to join in making the plan.'

Ms Ecroyd also assured the meeting that all was being done to try to recruit staff for the minor injuries unit in Dartmouth, which has been forced to close this summer due to a shortage of nurses – and that it would be open during regatta week.

Hospital matron Nadine Brooks said there was 'no slack in the system' to allow ward nurses to cover the MIU.

'We do not have the specialist skills and are already stretched,' she said.

Dr Rob Dyer, a consultant at Torbay Hospital who will be a representative on the health services new integrated care organisation, said attracting staff was a problem across south Devon, where there were eight MIUs.

Town councillor and chairman of the Townstal Community Partnership Steve Smith said there was confusion in the community and concerns that the MIU might never open again.

Dr Eynon-Lewis said he acknowledged concerns and doctors at the practice were trying to 'plug the gap' by taking calls and seeing patients where possible.

'It is crucial that regatta week is covered but looking forward I am not sure that the MIU is sustainable nor necessarily is it going to be the best way to provide that type of care for the people of Dartmouth,' he said.

'There have to be changes in the way staff are trained to do that job.

'Medicine has become much more metropolitan. Years ago, coming down here to work in Dartmouth was highly desirable but now things are not quite like that. The young doctors are focusing much more on the cities. So we have to accommodate and think ahead.

'So I would encourage you to look forwards rather than looking backwards, though I accept that involves a bit of uncertainty and fear.'