HEALTH BOSSES in Shropshire and Telford are looking to join forces and offload services to a new countywide NHS trust.

The new organisation would be responsible for the running of community hospitals at Whitchurch, Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Bishop’s Castle.

It would also cover a range of other services such as district nursing, health visiting, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

At least 2,000 staff would move over to the new organisation from Shropshire County Primary Care Trust and NHS Telford and Wrekin. Like all primary care trusts, they must separate their commissioning and service-providing roles by next April.

The trusts, which themselves will be scrapped in three years as part of the largest ever shake-up of the NHS, have both been looking to “privatise” their community services by transferring them to a social enterprise.

Many staff voted against such a change, fearing it would lead to a lowering of standards of patient care.

They were also concerned their conditions of employment might be affected, with only short-term contracts being offered.

But the coalition Government’s health White Paper has opened the door to the setting up of new NHS Community Foundation Trusts — and the two PCTs are exploring together the possibility of forming such an organisation.

The move should ease staff worries as the foundation trust would remain firmly rooted within the NHS.

Jo Chambers, Shropshire County PCT chief executive, said: “We are committed to finding the best solution for the future provision of community health services, one which keeps things based in local communities as now, provides the highest quality of care and the widest choice to patients in Shropshire.”

The proposal will be discussed by the County PCT board next Tuesday and members are being recommended to agree the development of firm proposals.

Lynne Weaver, chairman of the County PCT staff side representatives, said they welcomed the PCT’s decision.

By Health Correspondent Dave Morris