‘A WELCOME step forward’ in the fight to save Teignmouth Hospital was heralded by campaigners this week.
On Tuesday morning the Mid-Devon Advertiser learned that Health Secretary Sajid Javid has referred the closure of the town’s treasured hospital to the review body the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP).
The news was broken in a letter from Mr Javid to MP Anne Marie Morris.
The Newton Abbot MP said: ‘I very much welcome the decision by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care that there are sufficient grounds on which to refer the closure of Teignmouth Hospital to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP).
‘This in itself is vindication for those who have quite rightly raised concerns about the way in which the decision to close Teignmouth Hospital was reached.
‘This decision moves the process on and is an incredibly positive and welcome step forwards.
‘If the IRP were to find that the proposed reconfiguration of services in South Devon are not in the best interest of the population, it is most likely that they will require NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to re-run the consultation process, not stop the plans all together.
‘However, this would therefore be an opportunity to reaffirm strongly the case for both keeping Teignmouth Hospital open and holding the CCG to account, ensuring they actually take into account and reassess the full health needs of the local community, especially post-Covid.’
Mrs Morris said in this scenario, the CCG needed to:
?Properly take into account the impact of Covid-19 and long Covid on the population and service provision;
?Take into account the situation regarding those in receipt of home-based care. The reality is that whilst home-based care can often be most beneficial, it can also be unachievable due to both the healthcare needs of an individual and a limit on resources. Having rehabilitation beds at Teignmouth made sense for the community;
?Run a separate consultation specifically on the closure of Teignmouth Hospital, collecting and using new up-to-date data, including on patient experience of those cared for at home, on the impact of the increasing demands being put on Dawlish Hospital and on the adequacy of the new hub at Teignmouth that is currently missing.
She added: ‘As I understand it, a decision could be made before Christmas as the IRP has 10 working days to collate all the relevant material it requires to make a judgment and then a further 20 working days to analyse the material before making a recommendation to the Secretary of State.
‘Having been involved with this campaign since 2014, this is a fantastic step in the right direction both for the local Teignmouth community and the wider provision of healthcare in Teignbridge.’
Teignbridge County Councillor and campaigner Cllr David Cox said: ‘The people of Teignmouth and Shaldon have worked hard to save Teignmouth Hospital.
‘This is extremely good news and we hope people will listen.
‘Teignmouth Hospital has a future especially in a post-Covid world.’