Mel Stride MP is pressing the South Devon & Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for a clear timeline for the creation of fully functioning Health and Wellbeing Centres (HWCs) in Ashburton and Bovey Tracey. Mr Stride met with the Chair of the CCG Dr Paul Johnson in March but says there has been little if any tangible progress in the three months since then.
In a letter to the CCG this week Mel said he remained “very concerned” at the lack of progress since their meeting in March and urged Dr Johnson to meet with local stakeholders, including the local League of Friends, to outline their plans.
Mel explained:
“While there have been improvements in terms of intermediary care provision I remain concerned about a lack of progress in delivering the Health and Wellbeing Centres that the CCG promised for Bovey Tracey and Ashburton, which will not only serve these communities but dozens of neighbouring towns and parishes including Chudleigh and Buckfastleigh. I had a robust meeting with the CCG about this in March but have had to press them again as I have not had an adequate response to my follow up enquiries over the past three months to reassure me that sufficient progress is being made or that a clear timeline is in place.”
In a letter to the CCG Mel also urged Dr Johnson to engage with Ashburton & Buckfastleigh Hospital League of Friends through its Chair Sarah Parker-Khan, who is also an Ashburton Town Councillor.
Cllr Parker-Khan added:
“There have been some significant enhancements at Ashburton Hospital thanks to financial support from the League of Friends and the fantastic work of the matron and local staff, which include expanded physiotherapy, podiatry and lower limb clinics. But Mel and I remain in regular contact, most recently speaking on Friday, about the need for clarity on the fully-resourced Health and Wellbeing Centres that have been promised in Ashburton and in Bovey Tracey. It has been some time now since CCG representatives addressed local residents at consultation meetings and made these pledges and we need to see some action.”
