You couldn’t make it up!
“Dr Jenner said: “Of course we understand that some people will always want to have community beds in their own area and this decision may disappoint them but making sure everyone has the same level of access to services is very important.
“We are looking to continually improve services to support people in their local communities whether they are cared for at home or in hospital and this is one step forward on that journey.”
Dr Jenner blamed health provider, Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust which runs North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple and a series of community hospitals in east Devon, for putting extra strain on such hospital because of staffing issues.
He said: “Over the last few years the hospital provider Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust has had to temporarily close some community hospital inpatient units due to staffing issues.
“Consolidating from 10 to seven units means we will have much more robust staffing at our hospitals in the future.”
“This will improve the resilience of care at our community hospitals in the face of financial and workforce challenges.”
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Hospital-beds-slashed-30-East-Devon-make/story-26915985-detail/story.html
So, all you people in Axminster and Ottery don’t worry – you will be cared for in your own home by staff they don’t have.
East Devon Watch 