Overlooked and left out – fed up Ilfracombe calls for better health services

Ilfracombe’s residents have hit out at the loss of health services in the town and fear it has been overlooked despite being among the most deprived areas in the country.

A meeting organised by the League of Friends of the Tyrrell Hospital heard calls for a new community hospital, reinstatement of the town’s currently closed minor injuries service (MIU) and for health funding to be spent where it was most needed.

Issues raised at the meeting included service closures, the funding of early years at nurseries, reductions in pharmacy provision and a lack of social housing.

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A panel of six healthcare professionals and elected representatives fielded the questions, many of which focused on funding bids to help Ilfracombe having failed – despite the town’s central district being in the lowest 3% for health deprivation in England.

Above: The public meeting in Ilfracombe heard the town’s health services were being stripped away and not replaced. Credit: Tyrrell League of Friends

The recent provisional closure of the MIU at the Tyrrell Hospital by Devon’s Integrated Care Board (ICB) drew particular anger – the ICB chose not to send a representative to the meeting.

Terry Elliott of the League of Friends said: “The meeting showed how fed up people are with the lack of support for our town in terms of healthcare, both physical and mental.

“We’re calling on the ICB, Devon County Council and local NHS leaders to start working together in partnership and to start delivering the services that our town desperately needs.

“Health funding has to be channelled to the most deprived areas – and not just sprinkled around every single town in the county or the South West and especially places where they have nothing like the challenges facing parts of Ilfracombe.”

As for tackling the demand for better healthcare in the town, Gloria Satchwell, chair of the LoF, believes the answer is a straightforward one:

“We need a modern purpose-built community hospital – one that can bring health services closer to the people and tackle health inequality. It’s time for action,” she said.

Above: Gloria Satchwell, chair of the Tyrrell Hospital League of Friends, with fellow LoF member and campaigner Terry Elliott. Credit: Tyrrell League of Friends

The meeting heard from Andrea Beacham, a panellist from the One Northern Devon partnership to improve health and tackle inequality, who highlighted two initiatives that could help Ilfracombe in the future.

She said the NHS Core20 programme is aiming to reduce health inequality, while the Coastal Navigators’ Network developed by the NHS and six regional ICBs is targeting action in coastal towns, where health and deprivation are worse than inland areas.

Phil Harris, a community development lead in Devon for national mental health charity Mind, recognised the need for more funding but pointed out that Ilfracombe had ‘a very real power’ in its sense of togetherness.

An approach known as ‘asset-based community development’, which brings together local people and the charity sector, could be the answer to some of the challenges facing the town, he said.

Adopted by councils and towns across the country, the approach is already being used by some organisations in Devon.

Frank Biederman, a Devon county councillor representing North Devon MP Ian Roome, said the future reorganisation of councils into unitary authorities could be an opportunity to focus more funding on rural and coastal areas such as Ilfracombe.

Sara Wilson, Ilfracombe’s county councillor, said more needs to be done to support early years education across the county, despite recent spending on special educational needs.

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Speaking before the meeting, Terry Elliott said: “We want investment in health services in Ilfracombe. We would like a modern, fit for purpose community hospital offering so much more which is what we see in other communities across Devon which have far better health equality than us.

“There has been investment in South Molton, Bideford and Tiverton hospitals so why not Ilfracombe? Instead we see the removal of services year on year - last year the end of the Link Centre and this year the MIU for example, but there are many more.

“The Tyrrell hasn't had investment for years. It’s an old building that is not being invested in and has had no major renovation for years.

“New modern equipment won't fit in the current spaces and it can't accommodate certain clinics because of this - X-ray and advanced eye equipment for example, which other local community hospitals have.”