PEOPLE in the Okehampton area say they want health services to remain locally based. That was the clear message last Thursday at a meeting in Okehampton organised by Mid Devon Primary Care Trust (PCT) to hear public views on proposed restructuring of the boundaries of primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and ambulance services. The Government wants to reconfigure trust boundaries to free administrative resources, allowing for more investment in front line services such as cancer and palliative care. Views were sought on three reform options: a single PCT for the whole of Devon; two Devon PCTs, one for North and East Devon and a South Devon PCT which would link West Devon in with the South Hams and Teignbridge, or three PCTs, North and Mid Devon, Exeter and East Devon and South Devon, again based on the boundaries of West Devon, South Hams and Teignbridge District Councils. Mayor of West Devon Jayne Hill said big was not always best. ?My big concern is that one big PCT will focus more on the R, D & E, Derriford and North Devon District Hospital and our small hospital might be left out of the loop.? Joan Pauley said she had lived and worked in Okehampton for many years and knew its people. They believed small community hospitals were essential in this part of Devon because of transport difficulties. South West Strategic Health Authority director John Bewick said: ?I understand there are legitimate heartfelt concerns that having a unitary PCT for the whole of Devon, we might lose local sensitivities.? He said this would need to be supported by arrangements underneath the PCT to maintain stronger local relationships. He told the meeting at the Ockment Centre that the consultation was not about the day to day service people experienced, but about the way trusts were organised and could commission services. He said the South West Peninsula was required to make £8-million of management savings and this money would be channeled into front line services. Mr Bewick said the changes would also mean GPs had more say in deciding how health services are designed and delivered and money would truly follow patients giving them more choice about where they were treated. Cllr David Weeks from Exbourne said despite increased investment in health, he believed services were better 20 years ago, pointing to the loss 12 months ago of overnight doctor cover, which was particular important in rural areas like Okehampton and the outlying villages. Responding to criticisms about disparity in service between the north and south of the borough, Lesley Dunnaway PCT chief executive said: ?In the past four years, there has been so much done in Okehampton around the new community hospital.? In response, Cllr James McInnes said: ?Money has been spent in Okehampton on health in the last four years but that has been very much driven by the community.? He initially thought a single Devon PCT was a ?brilliant? idea but after consideration was no longer in favour. ?It is very difficult for people to vote for something like this. If the structure of that second tier was worked out beforehand you might find an awful lot more people might have gone for one Devon wide PCT,? he said. Martin Perry, Friend of Okehampton Community Hospital said although at a local level, people talked about safeguarding community hospitals, when these proposals ended up in Whitehall he feared they would be assessed in terms of costs, not local needs. Peter Williams from Sticklepath said looking at all the restructuring in health services he found it hard to escape the feeling that people were ?being conned by central Government?. The deadline for the end of the consultation period is March 22. A report summarising outcomes of the consultation and making recommendations to the PCT will be presented to the Strategic Health Authority Board in April. Maps of the proposed options and information about how to register views are available at http://www.swpsha.nhs.uk">www.swpsha.nhs.uk