IT HAS been confirmed that Holsworthy Community Hospital’s inpatient beds will close temporarily due to concerns over high agency nurse use, low bed occupancy and staff sickness.

But the MP for Torridge and West Devon warns there is a ‘strong possibility’ the Trust will not restore beds.

Staff members at Holsworthy Hospital were told in a private meeting on Thursday, March 2, that the temporary closure would take effect from March 31.

The Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust said the hospital is ‘to close temporarily under urgent measures, due to significant safety concerns’.

Andy Ibbs, director of operations and strategy for Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We have a duty to our patients to ensure that there are enough nurses on shift to care for them while in hospital and that those nurses have the necessary skills to deliver high-quality care.

“We have exhausted every possible solution and we are now in a position where we cannot effectively sustain inpatient services at Holsworthy.”

Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox spoke to the Trust, which told him ‘the need for community hospital beds has significantly decreased and that there are considerable problems in recruiting staff for Holsworthy Hospital’.

In response to the announcement and his findings from the Trust, Mr Cox has said he believes ‘there must, therefore, be a strong possibility that the Trust will not restore those beds’.

For a full report see next week’s Post.