Seaton & Colyton MATTERS

Statement by the Seaton Hospital Steering Committee

Posted on June 22, 2024

Jack Rowland (Chair of the Committee) has issued the following statement:

The Seaton Hospital Steering Committee has been made aware of comments on its work by an election candidate. We are a non-party organisation elected by a large public meeting last November, and our members give their time for the common goal of securing the whole of the Hospital for the community. 

The Steering Committee has always welcomed support from all political corners and rejects any suggestion of a lack of cooperation with those who have shown their support for Seaton Hospital. We look forward to working with whoever is elected as our MP on July 4th.

We are proud of our record in representing the people of the Seaton, Beer and Colyton area in negotiations with NHS Property Service and NHS Devon over the last 7 months. Huge progress has been made in securing a long-term future for our local hospital:

• The Hospital has been made an Asset of Community Value – to our knowledge the first time a hospital in East Devon has been granted this status.
• Our expression of interest in the Community Ownership Fund has been accepted and we expect a decision on our application after the General Election.
• Months of discussions with local community and healthcare organisations, in conjunction with the two NHS organisations, have led to the formulation of a detailed plan for the vacant wing, which was submitted to the NHS bodies last week, also for consideration following the election.