SUPPORT IS swelling for a campaign against controversial proposals to shut a ward at a community hospital in Shropshire, protesters said today.

Health chiefs want to close the 16-bed Beech Ward at Whitchurch Community Hospital as part of an overhaul of mental health provision.

The plans have already met fierce opposition from people in Whitchurch who claim there is nothing wrong with the ward and feel it should be left alone.

Now petitions are being distributed in Market Drayton and Ellesmere urging health bosses to reconsider plans.

A 5,000 name petition has already been presented to health bosses as part of the consultation on the scheme.

The petition in Market Drayton was raised by Kathleen McClellan, who was a senior occupational therapist at Whitchurch Community Hospital for 20 years.

She said: “The Beech Ward is a smashing little place and I’m disappointed that patients and visitors are going to have to travel so much further if it closed.

“Patients need to be somewhere where they feel comfortable and if they close the Beech Ward, I fear it won’t be too long before they close the whole hospital.”

Margaret Hiles, chairman of the Whitchurch Hospital League of Friends, said she was delighted people from across the county had joined the campaign to oppose it.

The plans have been submitted by Shropshire Primary Care Trust, which runs the hospital, and South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services on the ward.

Sam Hill of Shropshire PCT said the petition would be taken seriously as part of its efforts to improve mental health care in the county.

Health bosses are looking to make the services more modern but said the proposal would be subject to a public consultation.

As part of the scheme, the number of community health workers would increase, which bosses say would reduce the need for inpatient mental health beds at the hospital.

The remaining 32 beds at the Claypit Street hospital would remain open and would be unaffected by the changes.

By James Pugh