AMIDST uncertainty over the future of NHS services in Devon, an NHS group has moved to reassure the community that Okehampton Community Hospital's future looks secure.

The Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) recently published a document outlining their commissioning intentions for healthcare in their Eastern Locality, which includes Okehampton.

The group faces a £14.5-million deficit for the financial year, and is desperately trying to address its worsening financial situation.

With the closure of the inpatient beds at Moretonhampstead Hos-pital and the building being turned into a health and social care hub, CCG representatives were in Okehampton last Wednesday to discuss the proposals — and reassured Okehampton residents that it plans to keep both its inpatient unit and minor injuries unit open.

Dr Joe Mays, executive GP for the CCG and a member of the Eastern Locality CCG board, said: 'Okehampton and Tiverton will both continue to have inpatient units.

'I see no future in which we can manage without beds here in Okehampton. The whole landscape of healthcare would have to change significantly before that ever became a possibility.

'That is not to say that we won't see more people being cared for in their own homes, with fewer beds in our hospitals.

'We have to find ways to care for people with complex needs in their own homes or even in care or residential homes. But as I see it, Okehampton will retain its inpatient unit.'

As well as reassuring local people that the hospital is staying open, the CCG is also looking at ways to make Okehampton's minor injuries unit more effective.

Dr Mays said: 'One thing we would like to do is to provide consistent, predictable and high quality services outside of the injury units in larger towns.

'We have to have a more consistent and predictable service at the minor injuries unit in Okehampton than the service we have here now.

'We are looking to have longer opening hours.

'We do plan to make the injuries unit open longer than it currently is.

'We are aiming to address gaps in opening times, and marry things together.

'We want to try to make things like having the x-ray here available for longer during the minor injuries unit opening hours.'

Martin Perry, the chair of Friends of Okehampton Hospital, said: 'The hospital is a vital resource for the local community. The function of the hospital is changing rapidly.

'At one point it had a large number of residential beds. The provision for that has now increased in the community, and the hospital is used far more for clinics, consultations and the minor injuries unit.

'It would be a welcome step to have more use of the facilities in the injuries unit, if it was to be utilised.

'I understand the current availability of getting an x-ray is limited because if it were made available seven days a week, you would need a radiologist here.

'If the machine is not used enough, it is a waste of resources.

'Of course if they think they can provide a more consistent service, that would be welcomed.

'The friends' group provides equipment that by rights should be paid for by the NHS. That applies increasingly to every friends group and league of friends across the country.

'When it comes to us funding things as basic as beds, there is an issue. The friends groups were established to provide extra comforts, not necessities.

'But times have changed.

'The NHS budget may be so short that all hospitals need help from friends groups for vital resources.'

Among measures being suggested by the CCG to cut costs are requirements for smokers and the morbidly obese to quit or lose weight before any routine surgery and criteria-based approval for routine procedures including hernia treatment, botox injections and cataracts.

Unnecessary consultant to consultant referrals will be reduced and treatments with little or poor evidence of a successful outcome will be suspended.

The proposal paper is now available to view online at http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk">www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk

A spokesperson for the NEW Devon CCG said: 'We would like to thank people for taking the trouble to  come along to our meeting in Okehampton last week.

'We are grateful for their feedback and would like to assure them that this is listened to and will be taken into account.

'For those unable to attend they can still give their feedback on the community healthcare proposals by writing to us at Eastern Locality, NEW Devon CCG, Newcourt House, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, or e-mailing us at [email protected]">[email protected]

'No decisions will be taken on transforming community health services until after the end of the consultation and involvement period that ends on December 12 2014.'