A couple from Colyford are petitioning for the government to fund the reopening of community hospital beds in locations such as Seaton and Axminster.

Carole and Mike Wickins set up the petition after witnessing the "distress caused to local people" who had to travel to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital by bus in order to visit their sick relatives during the coronavirus pandemic.

They first started the campaign back in April but had to wait for the petition to be ratified by the government, which is was this week. They now has to collect 100,000 signatures online before the government will debate the issue.

Both Axminster and Seaton Hospitals lost their in-patient beds in 2017, but continue to offer other healthcare services.

Commenting on the petition, Mrs Wickins said: "The recent pandemic has served to reinforce our concerns over the lack of NHS beds which has resulted from the severe under-funding of our health service. Each winter sees reports of queues of ambulances outside hospitals with patients stacked up in corridors due to inpatient beds being occupied by patients who have received treatment and no longer need acute hospital treatment, but who cannot be discharged as they do need nursing care and rehabilitation which is not available in their own homes or in nursing homes.

"Care in the community or 'hospital at home' is a wonderful service in which we were fully involved during our working lives, but it cannot (nor was it intended to) replace inpatient hospital services.

"Times may change but basic medical and nursing care of the elderly acute or chronically sick and vulnerable people does not change.

"In many cases, three or four 15-minute visits per day is insufficient and leaves a further 23 hours each day in which falls and other crises may occur and when they do will often result in the use of ambulances, A&E department attendances and the occupation of acute beds which could otherwise have been avoided.

"Many elderly people live alone or are themselves carers for their elderly partners. For various reasons many no longer drive. In rural and semi-rural areas public transport is very limited - perhaps one bus per day or even per week to the nearest district hospital. Attempting to visit their sick relatives is at best difficult and frequently beyond the capabilities of these people.

"Community hospitals were designed, built and funded by the local community to provide beds for medical and nursing care (staffed by nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and in some cases radiographers and by local GPs) which reduced the pressure on district hospital services, was much less intimidating to patients and relatives and allowed easier local access for both patients and visitors alike.

"We both strongly believe, from our experience of working within them, that reopening the beds in community hospitals for their intended purpose will go a long way to reducing the pressure on our National Health Service and provide a wonderful local facility.

The petition can be found online by clicking here.