It’s the end of an era for Moretonhampstead Community Hospital.

The announcement of its final closure at the end of June follows long-standing safety and infrastructure issues at the hospital.

An updated statement by NHS Devon came after calls for the building to be saved by a local service user.

The resident, a patient disabled after a traumatic brain injury, is regularly treated by the district nurse team at Moretonhampstead Hospital, and is criticising the decision to move.

He worries that the relocation of the team to a local industrial unit is not only unsuitable but will undermine the care within the service.

The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I have been made aware that the district nurses have been given a very short timeframe to move out of the hospital, a substantial and iconic building, to an industrial unit, so that the NHS can sell the hospital building.

“Clearly this is a major loss for the locality and I know from my architectural designer past that an industrial unit will be ill-designed, not fit for purpose and definitely not be able to accommodate the same class of services, provide the same very visible presence, or become a facility suited to so many varied uses.

“In addition to causing emotional and mental strain to the district nurses and their patients, myself included, it also seems ludicrous that the NHS are selling a building that they currently own in order to pay to rent another building, at a time when the NHS is in need of valuable bed and clinical space.”

According to the NHS, a leg ulcer clinic is the only service currently still provided from the building which was closed to outpatients in 2013. NHS figures state the service is just seeing three people per week.

It was condemned to closure by the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board in 2024 when it was declared surplus to NHS need.

A spokesperson for NHS Devon said: “Since January 2013, the NHS in Devon has been working closely with the people and communities of Moretonhampstead regarding the hospital building and its services.

“There have been several public consultations and engagement opportunities over the last 12 years in relation to the services delivered from the building, and there has been an ongoing community engagement process with a well-established community group in Moretonhampstead.

“Most recently in March 2025, NHS Devon attended a community event in Moretonhampstead to involve local people in discussions about the future of the hospital building.”

Information on the NHS Devon website states: “Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that the community nursing team will be moving to new office space in the centre of Moretonhampstead.

“The community nursing team will continue to provide the same services as currently, with the only difference being the leg ulcer service and patients requiring catheter/dressing changes.”

It continues: “In July the estates director from NHS Devon will provide an update to the community in Moretonhampstead to discuss the next steps for the hand back of the hospital building.”