Beloved Community Hospital – We Must Not Lose IT

Regular readers will remember that the Communities of Ashburton and Buckfastleigh were very involved in responding to proposals from the Torbay and South Devon Health Care Trust about the closure of our Community Hospital after 125 years.

So it is with great pride for the League of Friends Team that I copy the email below............

Dear All

In August this year I ( as a member of the CHA) was invited to enter a Project  ( on behalf of our Hospital League of Friends) into the above Awards Scheme. This was done and the Project Title was “RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION – COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT” ( our battle with the Torbay and South Devon Health Care Trust  earlier this year).  I knew we were up against similar projects from across the country. We made the short list after which, I was visited by two members of the Selection Panel ( one from Somerset and one from Norwich). We chatted at length about our Hospital and then I took them on a short tour of same where they chatted with Staff and patients.

The end result is that I have just received a letter from the Chair of the Award Selection Panel stating that “we have been chosen to receive an Innovation and Best Practice Award.” Not too much detail as yet but the award ceremony will be in Manchester at the CHA conference in May next year.

This is marvellous news for all in the Community as a whole and those  directly involved in putting the Project content together( The Hospital Action Group, the League of Friends, The Council and  The Hospital to name but a few ).  I sincerely hope this will help act as a catalyst for the same Community who helped win this award, to regroup  for the oncoming Engagement processes being instigated by the local CCG next month.

To this end I would ask all addressees to spread this news around the Community as soon as possible and hopefully they will help us once again during  the new conflicts to come.

I will keep you informed of information as I receive it

Finally Well done to the Communities of Ashburton, Buckfastleigh and all those who constitute the Catchment Area  for our:-

Beloved Community Hospital – We Must Not Lose IT

Many thanks and best wishes to you all

Kind regards

Stewart Adams

Chair
Ashburton and Buckfastleigh
League of Friends