Selaine Saxby, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for North Devon said “It was great for Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to visit South Molton.
“While we have won the fight to retain our health services there is still concern over how they are delivered, funded and staffed. We welcome the investment of a new hospital and the seed funding on the way so that we, here in North Devon, the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust and the CCG can long term look at our health and social care needs, to provide what we need for the future. I am very happy that we will get local input, using local knowledge and experience in designing what is right for North Devon. I was assured that there will be no formulaic approach to this, but a new hospital tailored to our needs.”
“The future is promising but we need support now and I asked the Secretary of State to look further into Care Closer to Home and how is was working in more rural areas like ours. The principle works and in practice is does work for many people, but not everybody. The staff at NDDH are doing an amazing job and working hard but the recent black alerts have highlighted, once again that the care packages are not being put into place quick enough and without community beds that patient backlogs are forming quickly.”
Matt Hancock said “I was delighted to visit Selaine in North Devon. She will be a fantastic MP and a strong voice for North Devon in Westminster. It was great to be able to confirm the investment to rebuild the North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple. This investment will initially be in the form of seed funding to allow the local healthcare trust and the CCG to work up their plans for a bespoke new hospital that best addresses North Devon’s long term healthcare needs.
“Selaine also raised with me the issues around Care Closer to Home in North Devon and whether there is an opportunity to alleviate some pressures on North Devon District Hospital in the short term. I will take this away and write to her with a response as soon as possible.”
