HOPES of saving Bovey Tracey's closure-threatened community hospital have been revived by the new head of the NHS.

Townspeople have been encouraged by the positive comments made by recently-installed chief executive Simon Stevens, who has signalled a switch in policy by declaring that small hospitals have an important part in future care plans.

He wants them to play a bigger role in the care of elderly patients while moving away from big centralised hospitals.

Town and district councillor Avril Kerswell, chairman of the Bovey Hospital League of Friends, welcomed Mr Stevens' comments in the wake of previous less optimistic utterances from the NHS.