NHS bosses extend consultation deadline over controversial Axminster Hospital beds closure proposals

NHS bosses have extended the deadline for people to have their say about controversial proposals to shut hospital beds in Axminster. The Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust has extended the consultation period from December 30, to Monday, January 5. The consultation outcome will then be considered at an extraordinary board meeting on Wednesday, January 7. At the beginning of December, the trust halted its decision to temporarily move inpatient services at Axminster to Seaton in January, and launched a public consultation over whether the transfer should take place instead. Within weeks of the announcement in October, the trust made the U-turn, with NHS chiefs then issuing an apology for announcing their decision without public consultation and provoking "confusion" among the community. Both Axminster and Seaton hospitals currently provide 10 in-patient beds and a range of other services. The plans were that after the temporary merger, Seaton would host one 18-bed inpatient unit to serve both communities. The trust took the decision in order to resolve "significant safety risks" posed by having one unsupported and unsupervised registered nurse looking after up to 10 patients on each ward. The trust also identified a further risk in that because of the national shortage of registered nurses, it is overly reliant on agency nurses and is often on the cusp of not being able to sustain the nursing rota at Axminster and Seaton. The trust wants to ensure the in-patient service is "safe, resilient and consistent" over winter during which time demand is higher. Neil Parish, MP for Tiverton and Honiton, previously urged residents to "make their views heard". The consultation, which included some public advice days, is designed to help local people understand patient safety risks and provide an opportunity to make suggestions and have their say. The trust is also commissioning an independent review of the safety of staffing in Axminster Community Hospital. The consultation paper is available on the trust website, www.northdevonhealth.nhs.uk/consultation and hard copies can be collected from the receptions of Axminster and Seaton hospitals. People can contribute to the consultation by emailing ndht.contactus@nhs.net