MORE than 100 people were at a meeting in Crediton to talk about community hospitals, with particular reference to Crediton, with a national specialist.

Dr Helen Tucker, who is based in the Midlands, was the speaker at a public meeting called by Crediton Town Council and held at the Boniface Centre.

Dr Tucker is Vice President of the Community Hospitals Association which has been promoting community hospitals for more than 45 years.

She said there were nearly 300 community hospitals in England of which more than 30 do not have beds.

The Association offers advice and support, encourages research and evaluation, among other work.

Praising so many people for giving up their evening to talk about the future of Crediton Hospital, which serves a large surrounding area as well as the town, Dr Tucker said in the past such hospitals had been under-valued.

She spoke about how local people support their hospital. This support should never be under-estimated.

She had seen at Crediton how the hospital League of Friends was funding purchase of equipment and facilities for the staff, and how the community was promoting the hospital.

Mrs Mary Collins, chairman of the hospital League, said that it had contributed “quite a lot of money” for equipment, including beds, some of which had been taken to Ottery St Mary Hospital.

Asked how assets such as that, provided by the community, could be protected from being moved to other places, Dr Tucker replied that if people had a strong sense of ownership, they should ask to have a say where it goes.

She gave much fascinating information about how communities had developed their local hospital. In Cumbria there had been proposals in 2006 to close community hospitals, nine Leagues of Friends had joined together, with the result there was now more investment in the community hospitals.

At Ledbury in Herefordshire, the hospital had been redeveloped to include nursing home beds, a dentist and market cafe.

At Wells-next-the-sea in Norfolk, local people said they would buy the land, run the hospital themselves, and were hoping to get the beds back.

They saw a need for a kidney dialysis unit, not for local people so much as for holidaymakers. This was now running.

The hospital in Rye, Sussex was another owned by local people for 20 years. A community charity had been formed, funds raised to rebuild the hospital plus a GP surgery and extra-care housing. There were now about 20 hospitals that fit into a community interest company.

Dr Tucker answered many questions. She stressed there were no plans to close Crediton Hospital but the question was whether it would have beds again.

She said: “I do passionately believe in the community having a voice. We are trying to ensure your views are expressed to the authority making this difficult decision.”

Cllr Nick Way, Devon County Council member for Crediton, said he had been at the county council’s Health Scrutiny Committee meeting earlier that week when some members had been “quite critical” of some of the things done by the Clinical Commissioning Group.

He felt that most people were of the opinion the CCG had not proved its case for care in the community was right for Crediton. A small group of county councillors would look at what had been done.

When a member of the audience hoped that when Cllr Way went back to this committee his voice would be very loud about what Crediton needs, there was applause with Cllr Way saying: “It will be.”

Dr Christopher Maycock, a retired Crediton GP and one of the people who had worked hard to achieve the hospital more than 25 years ago, reminded the meeting that the hospital served an area of 22,000 people, of whom two thirds live in the rural area around Crediton.

He said he had understood it would cost about £900,000 a year to keep the beds at Crediton. He wanted to know what that figure was based on.

He also wanted to know the cost of care at home. Dr Tucker said that care close to home was about creating increased capacity.

“Some authorities say this means care teams as well as a community hospital. Others say you cannot have both. This is a big issue,” she said.

Asked about the economic running of beds, Dr Tucker replied that 16 beds had been quoted as a minimum. This had come from the Staffordshire Inquiry.

She added: “In practice there is a view this was never meant to be interpreted like that.

“You pay a bit of a premium for fewer beds because you cannot have less than one qualified nurse but if this is what your community needs it may be appropriate. There may be more flexibility than at first thought.”

She said there had been a survey about costs in which more than 200 community hospitals took part. This was confidential but costs could be compared to give an average. This would be repeated with every community hospital.

Chairman of the meeting, Cllr Frank Letch, urged people to look at the town council website (www.crediton.gov.uk) or contact the town clerk (01363 773717) for a copy of her report.

Cllr Way said the county council Scrutiny Committee was a public meeting. If people wish to be involved in that process, they should contact him (Westwood House, Westwood, Crediton, EX17 3PE, telephone: 01363 777903 or email: [email protected] ).

Sue Read