STAUNCH hospital campaigner Geralyn Arthurs says she is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the future.

Speaking after Teignbridge Council’s full council meeting, Geralyn, from the Hands Off Our Hospital campaign, was upbeat about its chances of survival.

She said she hopes there is a ‘good chance’ the decision may be reviewed in the light of the current NHS crisis.

Further opportunities to look into reviewing the closure decision would ‘give us supporters such a lift and spur us on’, she said. 

She said: ‘We have had a biggest buzz since 2020.

‘So much has happened since then. 

‘It just makes you feel that now something can be done.

‘We appreciate, and are most grateful, to all the councillors who are supporting us.’

She admitted there was some disappointment that the full council meeting had no tine to discuss the motion but said the campaigners were ‘grateful’ to the councillors who were prepared to debate the motion.

There will now be a few weeks ‘wait’ until Teignbridge Council executive meets on February 7 to approve the motion.

This will then have to go before Devon County Council’s health and adult social care committee which won’t meet until March. 

But Geralyn said they were ‘hopefully optimistic’ Teignbridge Council’s ruling executive will approve the motion.

She added: ‘In the interest of democracy, we will be requesting a registered vote.

‘We are cautiously optimistic that the buzz we are experiencing will result in all our local councils supporting a further referral to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care but this time on the grounds of medical services provision within the local area and the impact the proposed closure of Teignmouth Hospital will have on the health and wellbeing of local residents and whether this is in our best interest.

‘Teignmouth Hospital is still working and we hope Teignbridge Council can see how it can survive and thrive.’

She believes the top floor of the building could, potentially, accommodate in the region of 25 beds.

Only Devon County Council has the authority to refer the decision back to government.

Teignmouth would become on the second hospital in the country to be the subject of two referrals back to the Government over its future. 

Teignbridge Council’s ruling executive meets on February 7 with the next full council meeting scheduled for February 21.

At that stage, the motion would have to go to Devon County Council by March 1 to be in time for it to be on the agenda for discussion by members of the next health and scrutiny committee.