MEL Stride, the MP for Central Devon, says he believes a decision to close Crediton Hospital inpatient beds has been taken "without any firm evidence." Mr Stride met Dr Alex Degan from the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) on Saturday following the publication of proposals concerning the future of community health services in Devon on September 17. The proposals have been designed by NEW Devon CCG in partnership with local GPs, patients, the public and local organisations, including the voluntary sector. 12-WEEK CONSULTATION A copy of the proposals document can be found on the NEW Devon CCG website: http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk">www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk . It will also be available at local libraries. A 12-week involvement and consultation exercise began on September 17 with regard to community services and urgent care. It says GPs and healthcare managers will host a series of public meetings and drop-in sessions and will visit other groups such as town council meetings to discuss the proposals. The proposals include closing the inpatient beds facility at Crediton Hospital and Tyrell, Ilfracombe. The CCG want to close the beds from the beginning of November and cites a shortage of staff as the reason. It emphasises that the beds closure at Crediton Hospital is a "temporary" measure. Following his meeting with Dr Degan, Mr Stride said: "I remain deeply concerned about both the temporary closure of the beds at our hospital and also the CCG's recent proposal that these beds should be closed longer term. "I have yet to see any firm evidence to back this decision either in terms of finances or patient need. "I have also been unable to adequately establish precisely what healthcare hub provision will be provided in place of the beds. "The CCG's ability to engage with and listen fully to the local community on these proposals is now absolutely vital and I continue to press for this." He added: "I remain in close contact with both the Trust and the CCG." Crediton Town Council heard from Dr Joe Mays, a GP at Newcombes Surgery, Crediton, about the proposals on Tuesday. (See report in page 4). Dr David Jenner, also a GP and chair of Eastern Locality of NEW Devon CCG, says the proposals mark an important step in making sure community health services are sustainable now and in the future. "The passion and interest shown in community services from our local communities over the past year has been fantastic," he said. "We have listened to what people have said and believe our commissioning intentions, our proposals for the future, meet this shared vision. "We know people prefer to be at home with the right support, and we know that we need to rethink the way care is designed to ensure this support is provided. "We have to act now. We know that in seven years' time there will be 22,000 more people aged over 75 living in our area, which is a huge increase of over 25 per cent. The way community services are run at the moment simply won't cope with this demand. "If not addressed quickly, we know that the number of over 65s admitted to hospital will rise by two per cent each year. The document we have launched aims to address this." Dr Jenner continued: "Please take the time to read the documents online via our website or pick up a copy at your local library in the next couple of weeks." People can give their feedback in a number of ways. In person, feedback can be made at events being held across Devon. CREDITON MEETING A public meeting will be held in Crediton at the Boniface Centre from 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday, October 1 and all are invited to attend. Drop-in Sessions will take place, locally, on: Wednesday, October 15, 2pm to 4pm - Cheriton Bishop Village Hall; Wednesday, October 22, 10am to 12 noon, North Tawton Town Hall; Wednesday, November 5, 2pm to 4pm - Bow Village Hall. More details are available on the NEW Devon CCG website's community services page: http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/get-involved/community-services/101039">http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/get-involved/community-services/101039 . For more information or to register for one of the above events, contact Nicola Webber on [email protected]">[email protected] or 01392 356 129. To make your comments known, you can also write. Send a letter to: Eastern Locality, NEW Devon CCG, Newcourt House, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, Devon. Alternatively, send an email, to: [email protected]">[email protected] . Alan Quick