Why it matters
Keeping our hospital as a Community Health & Wellbeing Hub would improve care and across our community
Healthcare works best when people and services can work together.
In Moretonhampstead and the surrounding area, services are already working hard to support local people, but they are spread across different locations. This can make care harder to access, slower to deliver and more difficult to coordinate, particularly for those facing challenges with transport, cost or mobility.
The examples below, provided by local healthcare professionals, illustrate some of the practical impacts of losing local hospital facilities.
Lack of joined-up care
Working closely with other professionals is paramount to providing good patient care.
When therapy teams, support workers and a local care agency were all using the hospital building, multidisciplinary working was much easier.
More patients are now choosing to receive end-of-life care at home. These patients are often complex to manage, and close working relationships between professionals are essential. Informal conversations between colleagues in the same building are often far more productive than arranging an online Teams meeting.
Impact on rural patients
At any one time, the Community Nursing Team support around 12 ambulant catheter patients. These patients, predominantly men, have prostate problems and are often on long waiting lists for surgery. When the hospital was open, they would attend for routine catheter changes and could also telephone or visit if they experienced problems, needed advice or required support.
Now, these patients must wait at home for nursing visits. Many live in surrounding rural areas, including Yeoford, Christow, Postbridge and Sticklepath. This results in increased travel time and mileage costs for the nursing service, whereas previously these patients would have travelled to the hospital themselves.
Barriers to accessing care
A local patient with a long-standing leg ulcer previously attended the nurses’ clinic at Moretonhampstead Hospital.
Since the hospital closed, they have been unable to attend the replacement clinic in Okehampton. The local bus service runs only once a day and does not align with clinic appointment times, while volunteer transport cannot guarantee weekly attendance.
As a result, the patient must now wait for Community Nurses to visit them at home. Treatment is often carried out in cramped conditions, which is not ideal for either the patient or the nursing team.
Safety concerns
A diabetic patient requiring insulin treatment was living in their car in very poor conditions.
If Moretonhampstead Hospital had remained open, they could have attended regularly for treatment and support. Instead, Community Nurses had to provide care in the patient’s vehicle, in all weather conditions.
This created safety concerns for both the patient and staff and meant care could not be delivered as effectively as it would have been in a clinical environment.
Independant Analysis
Independent analysis by local sustainability consultancy, Global City Futures, has shown that retaining the hospital could deliver significant long-term value for both the health system and the wider community, through better coordination of care, fewer hospital admissions, improved access to services, and stronger workforce retention. The analysis estimates more than £220m in long-term health and social benefits, including over £100m linked to improved joined-up care for people with complex needs.
How our community will benefit
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At the moment, some treatments have to be delivered in less suitable settings or require travel to other towns, which isn’t always easy for many people locally. With proper clinical space in the hospital, more care can be provided safely and locally, from wound care to leg ulcer treatment.
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When care is easier to access, people are more likely to seek help sooner. This allows issues to be treated earlier, preventing them from becoming more serious and reducing the need for hospital admissions.
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Bringing services together in one place allows healthcare professionals to work more closely. This improves communication, speeds up decision-making, and leads to more coordinated and effective care.
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Local, preventative care helps reduce demand on GP surgeries, hospitals and emergency services by addressing needs earlier and avoiding more complex interventions.
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Local services are vital in helping people remain independent, particularly in a rural area where support networks can be spread out. Services like physiotherapy and falls prevention classes help people stay active, well and living at home for longer.
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The hospital can provide space for a wider range of services, including support for carers, young families, and community wellbeing. This helps strengthen local networks and reduces isolation.