Ludlow residents unite to fight for hospital's future
Oscars meeting Room at Ludlow’s Assembly rooms was packed yesterday evening as residents met to discuss the future of the town’s hospital.
The meeting was called by Mayor Beverley Waite and organised by Ludlow Town Council.
Beverley said: “Like most of the residents of Ludlow, I am very concerned about the increasing issues surrounding Ludlow Hospital and the plans that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and ShropCom have for the hospital. What is very disturbing is the lack of response by ShropCom on this issue not just to us but to the whole community - even to the hospital’s League of Friends.”
The meeting drew together a whole range of speakers including County Councillor and Health Professional Tracey Huffer, Dr Bernie Bentick ex-consultant of SaTH, The Chair and Vice Chair of the League of Friends, Dr Morton from Station Road Surgery and the Head nurse at Portcullis surgery.
The Shropshire Community Health Trust which runs the Hospital declined to attend despite many entreaties to send representatives.
Prominent amongst the speakers was Cllr Josh Dickin, Mayor of Bishop’s Castle, who played a prominent part in the successful campaign to save Bishop’s Castle Hospital. Cllr Dicken gave a presentation on their campaign and how they brought the whole community together to change the Trusts’ plans to close the hospital.
After further contributions from the audience, it was decided:
- To form a Campaign Group from across the community to actively campaign for the Hospital’s future. It will identify to the services the town needs and co-ordinate campaigning to secure them.
- The Mayor, Beverley Waite, and the Friends Group will write to the CEO of ShropCom and try to pin them down on their immediate and medium-term plans for the hospital.
- To campaign to secure continued hospital services in the town irrespective of any plans for a new hospital sometime in the future.
Beverley concluded: “It is clear from tonight’s meeting that people of Ludlow are quite passionate in their desire to keep our hospital. We have been kept in the dark about Shropcom’s plans for some time as services are progressively run down. We need to secure our hospital’s future and tonight shows that we are willing to fight hard to keep it.”
