Crisis meetings are to be held in Powys to get people behind a campaign to keep crucial healthcare services at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies has organised two public meetings in Newtown and Welshpool next month and today urged people to attend to make their voices heard.

Plans have long been in the pipeline to relocate maternity and children’s services to Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital – but Mr Davies said it would leave people in Mid Wales with even further to travel.

The call comes after a forum of doctors put forward a series of options for reorganising the way Shropshire’s hospital services are provided at Shrewsbury and Telford.

They have suggested midwife-led maternity units should continue to be run at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital as well as at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

But health chiefs have warned changes to the way services are delivered are vital or key facilities could be lost to bigger hospitals in Stoke, Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

Mr Davies said any changes would have a major effect on health services in Mid Wales.

He said: “Radical changes are being proposed to the services provided at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, which will take important services much further away from the people of Mid Wales.

“The main services affected are obstetrics (maternity) and paediatrics (children’s services).

“It’s proposed that any childbirth which is not entirely straightforward will be transferred to Telford, as will all services for children and young people up to the age of 16.

“I have agreed with the hospitals trust that two public meetings will be held in Montgomeryshire, at Newtown and Welshpool on February 23 and 24 to give us all a chance to express our opinion on the proposed changes.

“I hope people will turn up in their hundreds. We must not allow our health services to be dismantled while we are looking the other way.”

Meetings will take place at the Royal Oak Hotel in Welshpool on February 23 at 7pm and at the Elephant and Castle in Newtown on February 24 from 7pm.

By Anwen Evans