MP meets friends group over Ludlow's 'not fit for purpose' community hospital
A charity that supports a south Shropshire hospital has met with an MP over its concerns about 'diminishing health services' in the area and fears over the future of the community facility.
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The League of Friends of Ludlow’s Community Hospital has said that the local health organisations Shropshire Community Trust (ShropCom) and NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) had been ignoring its concerns about local health provision in the area - and had not replied to its letters.
In a statement, co-chairs of the friends group, Jennifer Gill and Michael Evans, explained that the existing community hospital had been recognised by the authorities as “not fit for purpose”.
“Maintenance costs are increasing yearly with vital equipment breaking down,” they said. “The community hospital is now only operating one ward, which seems to be ‘an overspill’ from the acute hospitals in Shrewsbury and Hereford, rather than being primarily for local people.
“Both acute hospitals are geographically difficult for patients to access for both routine and emergency care. The Hereford County Hospital is also in a difficult location to access both for ambulances and the driving public.
“The League believes that South Shropshire needs to have greatly improved healthcare services fit for the 21st century and beyond. Our communities have significantly increased in size since Shrewsbury and Hereford hospitals were built, but local health facilities have not. Would anyone willingly want to wait for, and be in, an ambulance travelling 24 miles to Hereford or 29 miles to Shrewsbury hospitals?
“Unfortunately, the league is now in a position whereby the ICB and ShropCom have not replied to its letters during 2024.”
