After some confusion earlier this month it was a huge relief to hear that Totnes hospital will not be closing its inpatient beds this winter.

But the debate that occurred while this decision was still being made re-emphasised to me not only the value we all place in community hospitals like ours in Totnes, but the incredibly difficult circumstances hospital leaders and their staff are operating in.

This is something that was reiterated to me when I spoke to Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust as soon as I was alerted to the potential closure.

And what’s scary is that the story they told me, of significant staff shortages, of a transport system not set up for night shift workers, of a housing market that is so expensive it is pushing workers away, is not unique.

It is a story that is being told across the country. According to the Royal College of Nursing, almost four in 10 shifts in all community hospitals in the UK are missing up to half of the planned number of registered nurses. While 81% of RCN members believe there are insufficient nurses to meet the needs of patient safety.

In rural areas, though, the situation is even worse. Attracting staff at the start of their careers is difficult. Many wish to work in busy urban centres where there is a wider range of opportunities and access to large teaching hospitals.

To combat this, rural community hospitals have relied heavily on overseas recruitment in recent years, but this too has proved problematic. Understandably, many overseas workers want to earn as much money as possible to send back home, and therefore prioritise working in larger, busier hospitals.

The sector has also still not recovered from Brexit when thousands of health professionals left the UK and returned home.

All of this is creating a perfect storm for community hospitals, and it’s been raging for some time.

In 2024 alone, we’ve seen petitions launched in East Sussex, Uckfield, Walton-on-Thames, Winchester, Seaton, Crawley and the Scottish Borders, all aiming to prevent community hospital or ward closures.

There are steps the government can take now to stem the flow of closures and prevent Totnes from joining this list.

For me, that starts by addressing the staffing crisis. It is unacceptable that it is more financially attractive to work in a warehouse or a supermarket than in healthcare.

The government must introduce a real living wage for health and care workers and invest in skills, professionalisation, and accreditation of the workforce to encourage people to stay or enter the sector.

Steps must also be taken to reduce the pressure on our healthcare staff. Nearly half of NHS workers are suffering from burnout, and our broken social care system is a big contributing factor.

The government must accept the Liberal Democrats’ offer to start cross-party talks on social care so we can get on with the task of giving the sector the reform and support it so urgently needs. It’s a long-term project – and goes beyond the term of any one parliament or party in office.

I’m committed to the survival of Totnes hospital’s inpatient beds and better rehabilitation work in community hospitals, and will continue to reiterate this to local health leaders.

If you wish to contact me about this or another issue you are facing, please do so at: [email protected]

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