HEALTH bosses have admitted

that the Teignmouth Hospital

ward may not reopen.

During the reorganisation of local

hospitals and the closure of the

two Teignmouth wards, it was understood

that a 12-bed rehabilitation ward

would be reopened this year.

But now the Clinical Commissioning

Group (CCG) maintains that the

demand for rehabilitation beds has been

‘limited’, and the proposal could be

reconsidered.

Teignmouth west ward councillor

David Cox described it as ‘shocking

news’, and accused the health authority

of treating the town ‘with contempt’.

Resident Christine Lavers said the

Teignmouth Hospital League of

Friends had been campaigning for the

ward to be opened, but there was still

no sign of it happening. She had called

for clarification on the current

situation.

‘Many patients are extremely vulnerable,

needing and requiring to be cared

for in a hospital situation, particularly

those who may live alone without family

or friends to aid them.

‘In many meetings about the hospital

and health care, the question of the elderly

with complex needs has been mentioned

time and time again. I would

have thought that this gives weight to

the argument that patient beds at Teignmouth

Hospital are an absolute necessity.

‘It also, begs the question, how can a

frail, fragile person be expected to fend

and support themselves within their

own home, alone’.

She appealed to health officials not to

‘renege on the promised beds’ at the

hospital, and to clarify exactly what

was now planned.

A CCG spokesman said: ‘The phased

implementation of the coastal consultation

proposals has improved care to

local people.

‘The new health and wellbeing team,

which includes local GPs, has supported

many more people out of hospital, in

or near their own homes.

‘The success of intermediate care

staff in particular has meant that there

has been limited demand for rehabilitation

beds and, when needed, patients

have received this short-term support in

local nursing or care homes.

‘As with each stage of the implementation

process, we are reviewing

whether, in the light of this experience,

establishing a 12-bed rehabilitation

ward in Teignmouth is the best way of

meeting the needs of our coastal communities

and of using our finite

resources.

‘If the view is reached that the beds

are not needed, further formal consultation

will take place and we would

expect a decision to be made over the

summer months.’

Cllr Cox reacted: ‘This is shocking

news, but sadly not surprising. When

a coalition of the League of

Friends, local doctors and councillors,

attempted to create an alternative to the

bed losses, we were ignored.

‘I think we were all convinced that

the long term plan was to make Teignmouth

Hospital a hospital in name only.

Teignmouth put up a spirited campaign

to save its hospital, with local

doctors being smeared for daring to

speak out. Frankly the powers that

be just treated us with contempt.

‘We were told a 12-bed rehabilitation

ward in Teignmouth was the best way

forward; now we are told the beds are

probably not needed! The promise of a

further formal consultation will ring

hollow, after the last one was totally

ignored.’