REPRESENTATIVES from the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) have said that they are ‘committed to keeping a minor injuries unit in Tavistock’.

The CCG had two representatives at West Devon Borough Council’s offices on Monday to discuss with councillors the closure of the out-of-hours GP treatment centre at Tavistock Hospital and the potential loss of all 16 in-patient beds at Okehampton Hospital.

While discussing the Tavistock treatment centre, chief operating officer of the CCG Jerry Clough reassured councillors that the CCG is intending to keep Tavistock’s minor injuries unit open for the foreseeable future.

He said: ‘We have to procure a service for Tavistock and we are committed to the site. When you look at the number of patients that come through it, it is an important unit.

‘Without being able to make absolute guarantees, we are committed to keeping a minor injuries unit in Tavistock. It remains an important service. The Derriford service would be significantly compromised should it be lost.’

During the same meeting, Mr Clough admitted that ‘lessons have been learned’ from the perceived lack of public consultation regarding the closure of Tavistock Hospital’s out-of-hours GP treatment clinic.

It was confirmed in July that there will no longer be local GPs based at Tavistock Hospital during evenings and weekends, meaning people needing the service will have to travel to Derriford Hospital or Okehampton Hospital for face-to-face appointments. The closure will go ahead this weekend, from October 1.

When the news broke that the treatment centre would be closing, numerous patients protested the lack of a ‘full and meaningful’ consultation, and over 1,300 people signed a petition fighting the closure.

Mr Clough said: ‘What is clear from this is there was a point in July where we could have consulted differently. While I am standing by the theory and processes used, we missed an opportunity then to consult better.

‘It was not coming from a place where we don’t want to, or couldn’t be bothered to engage, lessons have been learned for future situations.’