The future of Sidmouth's hospital >>> protesting at the NHS public consultation: reports

Campaigning on health services is happening on two fronts in Sidmouth.

First, there are the efforts to save the town-centre surgery:
Futures Forum: The future of Sidmouth's Blackmore Health Centre >>> doctors urge the public to support their bid to buy the surgery ahead of upcoming talks

And second, there is the County-wide campaign to keep hospital beds:
Futures Forum: The future of East Devon's hospitals >>> campaigning to keep - and expand funding
Futures Forum: The future of East Devon's hospitals >>> cutting beds without providing for home care: “Analogy: we are burning too much fossil fuel – so we will close down all the power stations next year while we consider how to invest in massive insulation and renewable energy programmes.”

Last week there were meetings to consider the proposals:
Futures Forum: The future of Sidmouth's hospital >>> protesting at the NHS public consultation on Monday 7th Nov

With reports on the Streetlife site:
Streetlife | East Devon Beds Update

And the Hospital's funding body in Sidmouth:
News - Sidmouth Victoria Hospital Comforts Fund

Here's the latest from the Herald:

Sidmouth’s community rallies in hospital beds battle

11 November 2016 Eleanor Pipe

Protesters gather in Sidmouth outside public meeting to discuss proposed bed cuts

Residents joined campaigners, frontline staff and healthcare professionals to fight proposals

NHS bosses saw the strength of public opposition to hospital bed closures this week - as people packed meeting halls and petitions topped 3,500 signatures.

Residents joined campaigners, frontline hospital staff and healthcare professionals to fight proposals that will see Sidmouth lose its vital inpatient beds. The consultation which is currently under way was branded ‘fundamentally flawed’ at one public meeting.

In a separate move, Devon’s health watchdog called for the process to be halted ‘before any more damage is done’ while it fights for fairer funding.

A petition to save Sidmouth’s hospital beds has garnered more than 3,000 signatures. Another, for all of East Devon’s inpatient beds to be spared, had reached more than 500 signatures yesterday.

Graham Vincent, chairman of Sidmouth hospital’s comforts fund, said: “The petition and letters of objection are where the power and strength is.”

For full coverage of the week’s events, see page 19.

Sidmouth’s community rallies in hospital beds battle - News - Midweek Herald

Things are very fraught indeed.

The County Council had considered a motion on the issue - but it hardly received a ringing endorsement:
Proposal to suspend plans to cut 71 East Devon community hospital beds fails by two votes - Claire Wright

Meanwhile, in Exeter:
Plans to cut hospital beds in eastern Devon come under fire - News - Exmouth Journal

And in Seaton:
Pulmans Seaton & Colyton: Neil Parish under pressure at beds protest meeting « East Devon Alliance

With a question as to who's really making the money:
NHS: How to profit when excrement hitting the air conditioning | East Devon Watch

And, finally, a petition:
38 Degrees petition: “Save Community Hospital Beds in East Devon” | East Devon Watch
Save Community Hospital Beds in East Devon | Campaigns by You
Save Devon's NHS Exeter Rally
.
.
.