Stratton’s Community Treatment Centre has suddenly had its overnight service withdrawn temporarily, due to increased pressure elsewhere in the county.

Since New Year’s Eve, the clinician providing cover at Stratton has been redeployed somewhere else in the county, leaving no overnight cover at the hospital once again.

However, normal service is set to resume sometime in March this year.

The system leaders of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health and Care Partnership released this statement on the matter: “As people across Cornwall will know health and care services are currently experiencing unprecedented demand. To be able to meet needs of whole population, for a short period of time until the end of February, we need concentrate care where there is greatest demand and so that we can offer a safe service to everyone.

“The Stratton Minor Injury Unit will continue to be open as usual from 8am to 10pm every day and x-ray from 9am to 5pm on Monday to Friday. In addition support remains available from NHS 111 and in emergencies or life threatening situations 999.

“We thank the people of Stratton for understanding the need for the temporary move of the Community Treatment Centre resource to support the larger population in the St Austell area. We have spoken with North Devon Hospital so they know that people from North Cornwall may be accessing services there.

“We remain committed to the Community Treatment Centre in Stratton and fully intend to resume this valuable service in March 2020.”

However, Cornwall Councillor for Bude, Peter La Broy has been left concerned by the withdrawal of the overnight service.

He said: “We have been in contact with our MP Scott Mann and NHS representatives and invited them to attend our public Community Area Network meeting on Monday (January 13) at the Grenville Rooms, Kilkhampton.

“We are deeply concerned that this crucial service has been withdrawn yet again with no communication or consultation to our community which undermines the trust we had built over the last year. David Parsons, Nicky Chopak and myself are yet again doing everything we can to resolve the issue asap.”

His colleague, Cornwall Councillor for Bude, David Parsons has been ‘very disappointed’ by the sudden news, as a lack of communication was detrimental when the MIU’s overnight service was removed in December 2018.

“In August last year we started the Community Treatment Centre which was staffed by a clinician who was also working to provide the telephone help service as well,” he said.

“It was fully operational and working really well — it was stopping people from going to A&E and ambulances were not having to turn up to take people to North Devon or Plymouth.

“But it seems that we have been a victim of our own success. One of the big things for me is that there is no consultation when things happen — the same thing has happened again and we have been left in the dark.

“We are running around trying to find out what is going on.

“We have been told that the reason it has closed is partly due to the pressures on RCHT and the clinician has been moved to St Austell because too many people were coming up to the hospital.

“We are absolutely furious — there is no overnight service in Bodmin and now none here. This is not a safe place to be.

“If you have to call an ambulance you are effectively taking it out of service for three hours.

“They say that the number of people using the service is low but this is about fair access to services and we don’t believe we are getting that.”

Cllr Parsons added: “We have been told that it will be closed for two months, but we have been here before, and before you know it after two months it will be another two months.”

Similarly, MP for North Cornwall, Scott Mann (Conservative) was left dismayed by the news.

He said: “Like many North Cornwall residents, I was disappointed to learn that Stratton MIU has been temporarily closed overnight for the second time in recent years.

“I immediately wrote to Phil Confue, chief executive of Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, to ask for clarifications regarding this temporary closure and raise my concerns about Stratton staff being used as back up for the main hospital in Treliske.

“I also plan to meet with local members of Cornwall Council to discuss this matter further, and I will relay their feedback to the Secretary of State for Health as soon as possible.

“I hope that the situation can be rectified as soon as possible, and Stratton Hospital can be used to its full potential serving the local community.”

Following the initial reaction to the news, on Friday, January 10 Cllrs Parsons and La Broy met with Mr Mann to discuss the withdrawal of the overnight service at Stratton Community Treatment Centre.

Following the meeting, Cllr La Broy said: “To say we are astonished and upset at this decision is an understatement as we have been left high and dry with no place to visit providing emergency medical treatment overnight. Scott is fully supportive of Stratton Hospital and is prepared to work with us to help secure the future of our local health service.”

Similarly, in support of the reopening of the overnight service was Mr Mann, who added: “We have come together today to discuss the statement issued by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health and Care Partnership. We have committed today to cross party working together towards a short and long term solution to provide more services at Stratton Hospital. In the short term I will speak to Geoffrey Cox (MP for Torridge and West Devon) and Matt Hancock (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care) to ensure the overnight services are returned in March or earlier; and after that to remain on a permanent basis.

“In the long term we will work together to support provision of key worker housing for staff working out of Stratton Hospital and to use the hospital facilities along with the technological innovations available to us to provide a reliable service in the long term.”