When plans were announced to close Dartmouth and Kingsear Hospital, residents were promised new healthcare provision at River View, encompassing most of the facilities previously available at the hospital, together with accommodation for Dartmouth Medical Practice, and a wellbeing centre.

It was no surprise when the former happened but the latter did not.

Now we learn that the care home owner plans to close River View, Chronicle, March 16.

While current residents of the care home and their relatives will be deeply distressed by the news, closure presents the NHS with an opportunity to provide an up-to-date integrated facility for the people of Dartmouth and surrounding villages by acquiring the site.

Sale of the old hospital on South Embankment will provide sufficient funds to make this a reality – funds that should, in any case, be ring-fenced for the benefit of the people of Dartmouth; it is their relatively isolated community with poor public transport links that has more to lose from the recent round of hospital closures than neighbouring more urban areas.

The proposal to close the hospital was ‘sold’ to residents on the basis that it was not possible to provide up-to-date facilities on the existing site but these would be provided at River View.

South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group held consultations but subsequently decided to close the hospital and negotiate with the owner of River View to provide facilities there – negotiations that, as we now know, failed.

The CCG must now deliver on its promise that, if our hospital closed, future healthcare needs of the local population would be met by new – and better – facilities at River View.

A quick look at its website reveals that Dartmouth falls within the ‘Moor to Sea’ area of the CCG, a large geographical area in which our specific interests are looked after by a member of its governing body from Ashburton.

Perhaps we should know a little more about the CCG, its members, how they are appointed, and how they reach decisions.

After all, it is the CCG that decides how our – taxpayers – money is spent on providing our healthcare services.

How can we make our views known to members and bring our influence to bear on the decisions it makes on our behalf?

David Leonard

Thurlestone Gardens, Dartmouth