MP Anne Marie Morris took the fight to save Teignmouth Hospital from closure to the Houses of Parliament last Tuesday.

As campaigners await the fate of their precious local hospital, the MP called for the Parliamentary debate on the issue.

She spoke to the House and Edward Argar, Minister of State for Health at the Department of Health and Social Care, telling him it would be a ‘massive shame’ if the hospital was to close.

During the Westminster Debate she questioned him on the consultation process run by the Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) over its proposed Health and Wellbeing Centre plans, which could well result in the closure of the hospital.

Mrs Morris asked Mr Argar of the consultation: ‘Was it fit for purpose and were the CCG right to exclude the hospital site from the consultation given that the proposals outlined have a direct impact on the site.’

At a time when Devon County Council’s health scrutiny committee specifically raised concern about the sufficiency and quality of intermediate rehabilitation care and community care services, she added: ‘There are currently no nursing care beds in Teignmouth. This seems a considerable oversight, not least given we now have the added complication of long Covid.’

Mrs Morris added: ‘The Secretary of State, Matt Hancock, has made repeated public commitments to keeping community hospitals open and even building new ones.

‘I will always welcome new provision, I am very much in favour of the Teignmouth health hub, but it is also important that we look after and maintain facilities that already exist and play a role in the community.’

Mr Argar replied after listening to her concerns about the consultation procedure and her call for him and Secretary of State Matt Hancock to intervene and stop the ‘automatic closure’ of Teignmouth Hospital and ensure a ‘proper consultation’ was held on the future of the hospital after the health hub was open and the impact of Covid having been properly assessed along with the impact of moving some services to Dawlish.

Covid had been a game changer and she added: ‘The people of Teignmouth deserve better and the people of Teignmouth deserve the Secretary of State’s support.’

Ahead of the debate Mrs Morris said: ‘Teignmouth Hospital is a clear and powerful symbol of the role the NHS has played in national life since its creation.

‘Opened in 1954, it was the first purpose-built NHS hospital in the United Kingdom, another reason why it would be a massive shame to see it close.

This comes as Devon County Council’s Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee is due to meet again next Thursday after recommending the consultation process run by the CCG should be informally referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP).

The IRP is a Government body which reviews proposals for changes to NHS services that are being contested, and indeed ultimately advises the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Had the IRP been approached on a formal footing then the matter could have gone straight to the Secretary of State, Matt Hancock, but the committee decided that not all the criteria required for a formal approach were fully met.

A response from the IRP is expected at this week’s meeting of the Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee.

Edward Argar Minister of State for Health at the Department of Health and Social Care, said he was pleased to respond to Anne Marie Morris who was a ‘strong local voice’ for her constituents.

Mr Argar said that in the CCG’s view the joined up community care available meant the community beds were no longer needed at Teignmouth Hospital and that the MP had made her concerns on that clear.

He conceded that it was ‘highly likely’ that Covid ‘has changed the nature of how we look at the provision of healthcare.’ These lessons had to be learned to future proof the health services and he was sure the CCG would listen to her concerns on this.

Of the reversal of the decision to establish 12 rehabilitation beds at Teignmouth he said he accepted the MP had concerns about the consultations on this.

He said the Secretary of State did not have the power to instruct the CCG to halt the process.

He promised to respond in full and swiftly. He added that although his powers were limited unless a full referral was made to the IRP, he said it would be helpful to meet the MP to discuss the issues she raised more fully.

The CCG will have heard her voice ‘loud and clear’ today, he added.

Due process constrained him from saying further but the Government was committed to providing the ‘appropriate NHS resources’ in Devon and provide the best possible care for people.