Health bosses refute claims incorrect data was used in East Devon hospital bed cut proposals

Concerns raised after wrong postcodes published

Health bosses have refuted claims that incorrect data was used to determine which community hospitals in East Devon should stand to lose inpatient beds.

Concerns were raised about a public consultation process being run by the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) after the wrong postcodes were published on its website.

These played a significant role in the criterion for determining which hospital beds should be cut, based on travel times and ease of access.

While the CCG’s documents have now been corrected, the mistake prompted concerns about whether the incorrect postcodes were used in the decision-making process.

A CCG spokesman said: “The postcodes were printed wrongly in the appendix when columns were transposed, but we can confirm that the correct data was used for the calculations.”

The public consultation runs until January 6, 2017, and the public is asked to comment on the four options – two of these, including the preferred choice, will see Sidmouth lose its inpatient beds.

View consultation documents and have your say online via: www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk.

Paper copies can be picked up from Sidmouth’s leisure centre, library, hospital, town council offices and pharmacies.

The CCG is hosting a drop-in event as part of its ongoing consultation on Friday, December 16, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm, at Kennaway House, in Sidmouth, where residents are welcome to ask questions and leave feedback.