THE closure of Launceston Hospital would be ‘absolutely catastrophic’, the neighbouring GP practice’s business manager told a meeting last week, writes Amy Dennis.

Peter Harper, the business manager for Launceston Medical Centre, had attended the town’s community network panel in the Guildhall last Thursday, March 16, to talk about plans for the GP surgery’s expansion.

Highlighting the loss of inpatient beds at community hospitals in Devon, including at Okehampton Hospital, and the temporary closure of beds at Holsworthy, Launceston town councillor Paul O’Brien said: “There are many of us who fear the same fate awaits our local hospital.”

He asked Mr Harper if any closure of Launceston Hospital would affect the medical centre’s plans to expand.

Mr Harper said: “I don’t think it would help the situation. Closure of the hospital would be absolutely catastrophic full stop. As a practice we will support everybody and everything to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Chair of the network panel, Cornwall Councillor for Stoke Climsland Neil Burden, said: “If you live on the border of West Devon where are you going for your cut finger that needs stitching? Launceston is becoming more and more important to be kept. As a network panel we need to make some representations.”

The meeting heard the latest on the ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plan’, published by health and care organisations in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, in response to the NHS England Five Year Forward View and Devolution Deal for Cornwall.

The ‘Shaping Our Future Programme’ has published an engagement report based on feedback from the public between November 2016 and February 2017 — this report states ‘throughout the engagement period the most contentious issue was any potential closure of community hospitals’.

Town councillor John Conway added: “We all agree Launceston Hospital is essential for the wellbeing of this community. The question that was not asked on the STP was do we want to keep it? Therefore, they have not got an answer to it. As a community we must totally support the ongoing use of our hospital.”

Cllr Conway put forward a recommendation that the meeting ‘wholeheartedly support the ethos of community hospitals and in particular Launceston Hospital’.

St Stephen by Launceston Rural Parish Councillor Joan Heaton pointed out to the meeting that the NHS Foundation Trust is having a board meeting at the town hall on April 4, suggesting this could be a good time for a public meeting discussing Launceston Hospital.

The Post reported earlier this month that the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has said there are ‘no plans’ to close Launceston’s hospital.