MORETONHAMPSTEAD Community Hospital is to be closed to in-patients as of today (Thursday) for three months, following concerns over their safety upon admission.

The decision was taken following a meeting of the board of the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust on January 22. The trust will review the closure after three months. All other clinics and outpatients sessions will continue as normal.

But Central Devon MP Mel Stride is pressing for the facilities to be re-opened as soon as possible.

'The board took the view that we could not be assured that there was sufficient consistency in the safety and quality of inpatient services provided at the hospital,' said trust chairman Roger French.

'It is not a decision we took lightly and in coming to it, we took into account the views of clinicians and support staff working in the Moretonhampstead area. The board felt strongly that this action was required in consideration of the best interests of our patients.

'Following a Care Quality Commission inspection in 2012, we have taken actions to address their and our concerns regarding maintenance of core clinical skills, but these actions have not been enough to overcome the difficulties we face in Moretonhampstead. We are not prepared to continue providing an inpatient service at Moretonhampstead under these circumstances.'

Moretonhampstead Hospital has nine beds, but often has less than 75% occupancy. The trust employs eight nursing staff and seven support staff at the hospital.

To mitigate the impact of the closure, the trust is opening extra beds at Okehampton Community Hospital. Additional community health and social care nursing and therapy staff are also being provided around Moretonhampstead.

Dr John Coop, associate medical director for the trust said: 'Patient safety and the quality of the care we provide is paramount. We face significant challenges providing a safe inpatient service in such a rurally isolated and small hospital.

'Giving staff access to sufficient numbers of patients to maintain their core clinical competencies is not possible in Moretonhampstead.

'It is the view of the senior clinicians in this Trust that these factors are preventing us from providing a safe service in the current conditions. We intend to spend the next few months reviewing the long-term provision of community services.'

Mr Stride said: 'I am very concerned about the Trust's announcement of the removal of in bed facilities at Moretonhampstead Hospital and I am in discussions with them on this issue.

'I am pressing the Trust to re-open these facilities as soon as possible and the Trust has agreed to meet me at the hospital shortly. I will remain very closely engaged.'

From January 24, the hospital stopped admitting new patients into the hospital. The closure date of January 31 was selected to allow for the safe planned discharge of patients to their home or another setting.