Police officers are conveying people to hospital to try to relieve some pressure on the underfunded ambulance service.

A Kingsbridge police officer posted on Facebook to say he took an elderly man to hospital after he was knocked off his moped.

The officer wrote: “We took him to South Hams Hospital to be checked over. He was examined and was out within 30 minutes. This is the third time in as many weeks that I personally, have had cause to take someone to the Minor Injuries Unit at South Hams Hospital.

“I did this to free up an ambulance which had already been called - who should be used for life threatening incidents only.”?They then went on too say that South Hams Hospital staff had stepped in to help another elderly man, this time when he was found wandering the streets suffering with dementia.

“It wasn’t safe for him to be left at home alone so a quick phone call and South Hams Hospital agreed for him to stay there overnight until something more permanent could be sorted in the morning.”

The post ended with thanks to all those who work in the NHS: “The point of this post? Simply to say thanks. All of the staff there - Nurses, Health Care Professionals, cleaners, receptionists, all do a fantastic job.

“Times are hard, and they’re as overstretched as we are, but without them we’d simply be lost. Thank you.”