PATIENTS will be moved to Newton Abbot Hospital from outlying areas as a safety measure, it was revealed this week.

Controversial proposals are in place to temporarily move beds from the Bovey Tracey and Ashburton and Buckfastleigh hospitals if there is a significant rise in the number of patients being admitted during the winter.

The Torbay and South Devon Clinical Commissioning Group maintains it will enable the NHS to cope with the increase in demand for care that winter generally brings.

That has annoyed hospital league of friends’ members and councillors, who maintain the group has had 12 months to find staff and have measures in place to cope without closing the inpatient wards.

In a statement on Tuesday the group said that it will mean patients will be in two ward areas at Newton Abbot, rather than the four wards at nine-bed Bovey Tracey and ten-bed Ashburton, ensuring a safer ratio of one nurse to every eight patients.

It also maintains that there will be less reliance on temporary staff, who are often used at Ashburton and Buckfastleigh, and Bovey Tracey because of difficulties recruiting for rural areas.

Mike Haugh, the group’s urgent care lead, welcomed the winter contingency decision.

‘By temporarily closing beds at the two hospitals and concentrating regular staff from them in one place, more patients can be looked after safely in a hospital where doctors are present throughout the day and where there are more facilities such as x-ray.

‘Reliance on temporary agency staff, which can often increase in winter, will be significantly reduced,’ said Dr Haugh.

A four-week invitation to comment on the proposals closed on October 15, with around 40 individuals and organisations responding, the majority saying they did not want the proposals implemented.

The group’s statement added that it was felt that the views did not suggest any effective, viable alternatives.

It was, therefore, decided that the plans represent the best way of ensuring that throughout winter pressures, patients have access to the services they need and that there are sufficient staff to look after them safely.

‘Beds will therefore be relocated to Newton Abbot when the health service does not have enough capacity to cope with increasing numbers of patients, has too few regular staff, and there are concerns over the quality of care and the safety of patients,’ added Dr Haugh.