'Government needs to rethink hospital closure' vote councillors
Campaigners have welcomed the decision by Teignbridge Council
Last updated 21st Feb 2023
Councillors were today applauded as they unanimously backed calls to reopen Teignmouth Hospital - rather than close it and replace it with a smaller GP-led health centre.
Campaigners demonstrated in a show of solidarity ahead of this morning's Teignbridge Council meeting
The motion said: "Over the past two decades, Devon has seen a steady and relentless decline in community hospital beds and services. Teignmouth is no exception."
It added: "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.
"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 meeting was told more than 40 beds a day at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust are currently occupied by people ready and waiting to be discharged.
The council voted to write to NHS bosses, MPs 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'.
The motion also called for the council 'to consider undertaking a review of the closure of cottage hospitals in the district'.
The full motion can be seen here (item 7)