ANN ZEBEDEE, of Stonelands Mews, Dawlish, writes:

I saw your article last week on the OAP who had an accident and the unacceptable Health Care that is available in our community.

I also had to visit Newton Abbot Hospital for a physiotherapy session this week, with the 25 min walk from home and two bus rides it took in total over two-and-a-half hours to get there.

This is not acceptable, especially when we have a perfectly good Community Hospital in Dawlish.

Its cost is being paid for by Dawlish and also by the over 500,000 visitors that come here each year.

We all deserve better and although it’s probably whistling in the wind, we all ought to try and aim for it.

I hoping that by writing this email to you that you would front a campaign for Dawlish to get better services.

At the moment it is more Third World than First.

We have the Dawlish Carnival coming soon, a excellent venue to start a campaign where we can get the support of our visitors signing a CAMPAIGN FOR OUR DAWLISH HOSPITAL to be reinstated as MIU for all of us to use.

I live in Dawlish and it is a wonderful place to live, but have an accident or need even the services of physiotherapy and it’s not possible.

Dawlish Hospital has an X-ray unit that is obviously not being used to its fullest capacity. Another demonstration of how the NHS waste resources.

Failing that or even while we are waiting for the above to happen, would it be possible for a Red Cross Unit to be stationed on the Lawns to see to the needs of both residents and visitors who have minor accidents.

Is there a volunteer organisation that could be incorporated in this?

Also, at the library we were discussing the possibility of teaching local people – children especially the importance of being aware when someone hurts themselves.

The Red Cross run a very efficient service of resources for First Aiders, beginning with teaching children to be ‘KIND’ as a start to learning about First Aid.

How to access help. It has been shown in the past that children have saved the lives of their friends and family by being able to access 999 services.

I hope you feel able to help with any of the above suggestions.