A NEW medical day treatment service for infusions is to be launched at Moretonhampstead Hospital next month.

It means local people will be able to have treatment such as blood transfusions and other infusions in Moretonhampstead, saving them a regular journey to Okehampton or the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

The Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust is to run clinics one day per week, starting on Thursday, September 3. Further services will be brought into the hospital over the coming months as part of its transformation into a health and social care hub.

Emma Bagwell, matron, said: ‘An infusion is an important procedure and our analysis of patients in the Moretonhampstead area showed that it could be really beneficial to introduce clinics at the hospital.

‘We’re keen to bring more services into the hospital so local people can be seen and treated close to their homes and avoid a trip elsewhere.’