SUPPORTERS of Ashburton and Buckfastleigh hospital are urging residents to help fight the ‘grave threat’ of closure.

For the second time in three years, health bosses are proposing to shut the 10-bed community hospital as part of a wider reform of health services across south Devon.

A consultation is currently underway by the South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group on proposals for a major overhaul of community health services with a new model of care aiming to reduce hospital bed numbers and close most minor injury units (MIUs).

The organisation is looking to shift resources from in-patient care to care at home.

Ashburton and Buckfastleigh’s MIU service is already temporarily suspended.

The hospital’s League of Friends has produced its own rival questionnaire, claiming the CCG version is ‘biased and assumes the hospitals will close’.

And mayor of Ashburton and chairman of the town council John Nutley has also appealed to residents to support the fight against closure.

He said: ‘They say they need to save money which can only be achieved by closing the beds in our community hospitals.

‘It’s people’s wellbeing and lives we need to save.’

He also said the CCG’s annual report revealed some ‘sickening figures’ with management and administration costs put at £6million.

He argued: ‘The salaries and pensions also reveal some staggering figures.

‘It makes me think who the wellbeing is for, certainly not for the sick and those needing constant care which is given by our dedicated nurses and staff in our community hospitals.’

CCG bosses will be hosting three public meetings on Tuesday at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm at Ashburton Town Hall.

Cllr Nutley said: ‘I ask everyone to give these meetings their full support in protesting against the closure of our hospital.’

A spokesman for the League of Friends said: ‘It is vital that we fight this closure.

‘Ten beds will be lost as well as the transfer of podiatry, physiotherapy and the district nursing team to Totnes hospital.

‘This is to save money.

‘Yet the CCG has 126 staff with a huge wage bill.’

Tomorrow, Cllr Nutley will be joined by fellow councillors Elaine Baker and deputy mayor Sarah Parker Khan along with League of Friends president Stewart Adams and Michael Posner from the Friends, collecting signatures for a 38 Degrees petition.

They will be outside Church’s Ironmongers from 10am.

The CCG says the NHS is struggling as demands have increased hugely, particularly as people are living longer and south Devon has an increasingly ageing population.

Dr Nick Roberts, chief clinical officer for the CCG, says it is no longer an option to have everything the way it has been before.

He said times are hard and ‘something has to change’.

The CCG says it is looking to seek people’s views on how care can be improved to meet the future needs of the population in a sustainable and affordable way.

A spokesman said: ‘Choices have to be made as to whether we invest in the services most people use or continue to maintain all community hospitals, some of which look after small numbers of patients, many of whom could be better supported at home if more community services were available.’