HONITON Hospital is set to lose all inpatient beds in a cost cutting exercise which has been described as ‘a dark day’ for the town.
The removal of the beds comes after the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group announced plans for a consultation into the closure of beds in Devon.
NEW Devon CCG announced the list of hospitals whose beds would be entered into the consultation process, concerning whether or not they should be kept.
Honiton – along with Okehampton – was not included on the list, with angry residents taking this as confirmation that they will lose the beds at the hospital.
Health chiefs hope that the bed cuts will save around £5million a year, with around 40 per cent of current running costs reinvested in creating health hubs and providing more care in people’s homes.
Honiton Hospital League of Friends said they were devastated to receive the news of the proposal to close all the medical beds.
Chairman of the League of Friends, Heather Penwarden said: “This is a dark day for Honiton Hospital. There has been a hospital in Honiton for many generations and we have been proud of how we have been able to care for the sick, elderly and vulnerable within our community. We have had no warning of these proposals so it has been a complete shock for us and all the staff at the hospital”.
Later this week Heather will be talking to Rebecca Harriott, Chief Officer for NEW Devon CCG, to hear more details of the proposal and to express concerns about the implications for Honiton patients.
Heather went on to say that: “Having just received the news it is all just sinking in.
“Following my discussions with Rebecca Harriott there will be an emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees when the Friends will outline their official response and plan of action”.
Heather urges everyone in Honiton to put forward their opinions about these proposals either through direct letters to NEW Devon CCG, through the press, social media or writing to her at the hospital.
Honiton’s Dementia Action Alliance was one of the first organisations to address the closure saying: “Honiton DAA is saddened to learn of the planned closure of all medical beds at Honiton Hospital.
“We believe that this will be detrimental to the care and quality of life for people living with dementia in our community and will place added strain on carers who already have great pressures to deal with.
East Devon District Councillor, Mike Allen has called the consultation a ‘farce’ and ‘appalling’ and called on residents to mass protest outside County Hall on Wednesday, September 28th, when the consultation plans will be given the go ahead by the CCG.
Cllr Allen said: “Following months of discussions and clear negative reactions from virtually all residents, the Clinical Commissioning Group wishes to save perhaps £700,000 of the £400 million it overspends.
“This will destroy our effective network of community hospitals on the basis of unproven claims that ‘Hospital at Home’ can work. If that is so why are so many Exeter RD&E beds still blocked?”
Honiton Senior Voice held a public meeting where members strongly objected to plans for further bed closures by the CCG.
Tony Simpson moved a resolution which was unanimously carried to tell the CCG that further closures in community hospitals were unacceptable and Honiton and other local hospitals performed a valuable role for their community and assisted with moving patients on from larger hospitals where there was so called bed blocking.
Members also agreed to support a protest outside County Hall on September 28th when the CCG plans to begin its consultation.
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