Former health minister and Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw said failing to fund community health facilities, such as community hospitals, physiotherapy and community nursing, was short sighted.

He said it played a vital role in keeping patients out of major hospitals and blamed under-funding as the latest casualty of the sweeping reorganisation of the NHS undertaken by the Coalition Government.

His words come as the Prime Minister has been urged to step into the row over cottage hospital closures in North Devon.

Meanwhile, in Cornwall healthcare commissioners have been forced to search for new providers of community care after a private company ceded its contracted saying it simply could not deliver for the money being paid.

Mr Bradshaw said lack of funding underpinned the whole problem and things had to change.

“The underlying problem here is the serious financial crisis affecting the NHS, which has mainly been caused by the Government’s disastrous and costly re-organisation of the health service at the beginning of the last Parliament.

“The independent regulator, the Care Quality Commission, warned this week that a growing number of organisations are unable to guarantee safe care and Monitor, which oversees Foundation Trusts, said the NHS faces its worst crisis for more than 30 years.”

Earlier this month, Northern Devon Healthcare Trust (NDHT) voted to close in-patient beds at Ilfracombe and Bideford Hospitals, despite protests from their own senior medics and patients and warnings from healthcare commissioners. In the latest twist to the saga, Great Torrington Town Council has urged David Cameron to see for himself the unique problems faced by their community.

The council urged Mr Cameron to see for himself the challenges in rural areas which were being made worse by “insufficient funding.” …