Physio clinics relocated after temporary closure of community hospital

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) recently announced that it would be "temporarily closed on safety grounds", saying staffing issues over the last six months had left it "extremely difficult" to run the hospital.

The trust, which manages the 16-bed hospital, says it is relocating the community physiotherapy clinic from Bishop's Castle to Ludlow Community Hospital so that "this vital service is not disrupted" and no other clinics are affected.

But health campaigners from Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Defend Our NHS, who have hit out at the temporary closure, say patients who need to use the physiotherapy clinic and who don't drive now face long journeys on public transport.

The trust says some of the staff from Bishop’s Castle Community Hospital are also now working alongside local GPs to put in place a new model of care that will allow more people to be cared for in their own homes.

A spokesman for Shropcom said: “We are committed to the delivery of outstanding community services for all of the populations we serve.

"We are working closely with all our partners across the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin health and care system to ensure that we are doing just that.

“The decision to temporarily close Bishop’s Castle Hospital on safety grounds was not one we have taken lightly, but was one that was necessary.

“Some of the staff from Bishop’s Castle Hospital are now working alongside local GPs to put in place a new model of care that will allow us to care for more people in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.

"Evidence shows that is better for their health outcomes and their mental wellbeing.

"For the people who need care within a hospital setting, our other community hospitals will continue to meet that need.

“We have also committed to relocating the community physiotherapy clinic that has run from the hospital within the local area so that this vital service is not disrupted.

“Some of the staff from Bishop’s Castle will be relocating to nearby Ludlow Hospital, which has undergone recent improvement work and provides 24 inpatient beds.

"It is a vibrant site that also offers many other important community services to the people of south Shropshire.”

Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Defend Our NHS group has also written to the trust's chief executive Patricia Davies to say bosses need to think again.

Campaigners have accused the trust of making the decision on costs grounds, and fear that the closure could become permanent.