THE FIGHT to save Teignmouth Hospital goes on in the wake of increased pressure on the NHS, councillors have declared.

Despite a final decision six months ago to move services to a new £8milion health centre in the centre of Teignmouth, Liberal Democrat councillors in Teignbridge are asking for a review of the closure.

Their calls comes as the NHS faces unprecedented pressures on beds and services.

A motion is to go before Teignbridge Council’s meeting on January 15 asking for a letter to be written to the chairmen and chief executives of the South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and the Devon Clinical Commission Group as well as relevant Members of Parliament and the Secretary of State for Health appealing for a review of the closure plans.

The motion says the request is being made ‘mindful of the pressures on local acute hospitals through delayed discharges to other appropriate provision’.

The motion, formally proposed by Cllr David Cox and seconded by Cllr Nina Jeffries, has been submitted to the full council meeting on January 12.

Cllr Cox said: ‘We haven’t given up, trying to save Teignmouth Hospital. 

‘The hospital is needed and could help the NHS save millions.’

Cllr Jeffries explained: ‘Across Devon, community hospitals such as Teignmouth have played a vital role in healthcare, providing of range of inpatient and outpatient healthcare close to the community.

‘Over the past two decades, Devon has seen a steady and relentless decline in community hospital beds and services. Teignmouth is no exception.

‘Pressures on the acute hospitals, such as Torbay, are immense and made worse by the lack of beds in the community to which patients could be discharged by Torbay.

‘The services and point of contact that community hospitals offer are needed and valued. We have an increasingly aging population with depleted public transport, all of which make the need for a local community hospital so very important. 

‘We must save Teignmouth hospital it will be a devastating blow to the community if we don’t.’

The councillors say recent figures from NHS England show an average of 41 beds per day were occupied by people ready to be discharged from Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in October – though this was reported to be down from 45 the previous month.

The motion says: ‘While positively welcoming the proposed new health hub in the centre of Teignmouth, this council also affirms its support for Teignmouth Hospital and believes it should continue to play an integral part in the healthcare provision for the town and the wider district.

‘The council asks the managing director to write to the chairs and chief executives of the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, relevant Members of Parliament and the Secretary of State for Health asking for a review of the hospital closure plans, mindful of the pressures on local acute hospitals through delayed discharges to other appropriate provision.’

Teignmouth Hospital was built on the site in Mill Lane in 1964, the first built by the NHS.

Following several years of talks, a final decision was made in the summer that the hospital would close with services being moved to Dawlish Hospital and a new £8million health centre to be opened in Brunswick Street in the centre of the town.

Campaigners fought a hard battle to save the hospital with hundreds signing a petition in support and a number of demonstrations and marches to keep it open.

No decision has been made on the future of the existing hospital building. 

But care chiefs argued the closure was needed as part of a move to an ‘integrated care model’ where more people are cared for in their own homes.