STAFF from Tavistock Hospital were thanked by West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox for their hard work over the Christmas and New Year period.
Mr Cox visited Tavistock, Holsworthy and Great Torrington Hospitals on Christmas Eve as part of his Christmas tour to thank staff and to bring good wishes to patients not well enough to be home.
Mr Cox was escorted around the wards by ward sister Helen Sykes and discussed the hospital's progress with NHS and Social Care manager Philippa Bridle.
He said: 'Christmas is a season when most of us are at home in the company of family and it is a particularly good time to express gratitude for the extraordinary dedication of those who staff our community hospitals now and throughout the year.
'Everyone seemed in very good spirits, and praise for the care they received was the first thing on the lips of patients as we went round the wards.'