Last week, Seaton Hospital League of Friends and I had it confirmed that a whole wing of the Community Hospital at Seaton is threatened with sell-off and demolition. The hospital provides quality care right across the Axe Valley, as well as acting for a hub for ‘at-home’ care.

Since learning of the threat, I’ve been doing all I can as Seaton’s MP to raise these concerns and seek action taken to prevent a wrecking ball being driven through our hospital. I’ve raised the issue in the media, in a letter to the Health Secretary, and directly with the Prime Minister at PMQs last Wednesday.

In addition, I met with representatives of NHS Devon last Friday to discuss the situation. I have some sympathy for the situation NHS Devon is in. It is facing huge financial pressures due to a lack of support from this Conservative government; NHS Devon is desperate to balance the books to get themselves out of special measures.

The hospital premises – built largely with funds raised by the local community – were given over to a Government-owned company called NHS Property Services. Under an agreement introduced by the Conservative Government in 2016, the company then let the space to NHS Devon for a substantial fee.

The wing at risk has been mostly vacant since 2017, owing to a last-minute decision to remove beds from the ward at that time. This left the space vacant and costs NHS Devon about £300,000 a year to rent. Many local people feared at that time that the removal of the beds was one step towards an eventual sell-off and they were right.

One of the few possibilities for resolving this situation and saving the space in Seaton’s beloved hospital is by getting the Government - via NHS Property Services - to drastically lower the rent or to hand the space back over to the community whose contributions helped build it in the first place.

I will be seeking to host a meeting with NHS Devon, NHS Property Services, Seaton & District Hospital League of Friends, Re:store Axe Valley CIC, and others in the coming days. I want to explore what can be done to encourage the Conservative Government to turn over the facility to the community - who can put the space to good use as a Care Hub.

There will also be an open meeting about the situation on Friday 3 November at 1.30pm at Colyford Memorial Hall. I hope you can come along and make your voice heard.