Both parts of the county need a major hospital

Into this category comes the letter from Dr David Christmas, a retired consultant and past Medical Director at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital. “Talk about two vibrant hospitals is nonsense” – Starmail 28.06.2018)

However, despite the fact that there will be few people on the planet with more expertise or experience in his particular field than Dr Christmas, his understanding of an NHS to serve the needs of the people of Shropshire is poor.

Just one example of Dr Christmas’ disingenuous thinking. Could the reluctance of young consultants to take up posts in Shropshire be anything to do with Future Fit’s years-long shenanigans?

Notwithstanding the work of the hapless bureaucrats of Future Fit (has any public body ever been so ironically named?) whose task is to persuade the people of Shropshire that reduced health services will be a great benefit to all, in their attempts to present the debate as a straight choice between Shrewsbury and Telford, the facts of human geography remain the only pointer to a properly resourced NHS in Shropshire.

Consider this. Shrewsbury is the county town, serving both the town and its extensive hinterland. It needs a major hospital.

Telford is a rapidly expanding town, the largest conurbation in Shropshire, and looking in the near future for city status. It needs a major hospital.

Don’t let the powers divide and conquer. Stand up for Shrewsbury, stand up for Telford, and while you are about it, stand up for mid-Wales. T

he people need and deserve 21st Century health provision. Two vibrant hospitals? You bet.

By the way, the money to pay for all this? Simple. Make the multi-nationals pay their fair share of tax – not a tax on their profits (easily juggled to zero) but a simple UK sales tax. Amazon, Starbucks and the rest, be warned.

David Askins, Lightmoor