Dartmouth Hospital will stop admitting new patients from March 13 as the CCG says it is “satisfied that new services are in place”.

The South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group – CCG – say that the “criteria for improved community health services and the closure of four community hospitals have been achieved” and it is “satisfied that new services are in place to support more people at home and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions”.

The CCG has therefore agreed that Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust can close the in-patient beds in Dartmouth, as well as in Ashburton, Bovey Tracey and Paignton, and can move community clinics from Dartmouth Hospital to “establish a temporary health and wellbeing centre in the Dartmouth clinic building, pending finalisation of permanent provision”.

Changes will take effect in the coming weeks, with the first steps being to stop new admissions to the hospitals where beds are being closed.

So no patients will be admitted to Dartmouth from March 13.

A CCG spokesperson said: “No changes will be made to minor injuries units’ services until the parameters relating to these have been met.

“Implementation will be overseen by the CCG’s Community Services Transformation Group and supported by implementation groups in each town, which will include representative stakeholders so that local knowledge will influence service development.

“In the consultation documentation and in the public meeting presentations, we indicated that with the strengthening of community-based services, the 32 escalation beds opened at Torbay Hospital in recent years would no longer be needed.

“The CCG has been working with the trust to identify how these beds can best be phased out so as to achieve the best patient flow through the hospital.

“As changes are implemented, the focus will be on ensuring minimum disruption to patients and that patient safety remains paramount.”