Health minister Philip Dunne to be quizzed by Shropshire residents

Mr Dunne, recently made minister of state for health - second only to health secretary Jeremy Hunt - will be answering questions from the public in his own constituency of Ludlow, as part of a long-awaited public meeting on September 29.

It will be a chance for residents to voice long-standing concerns over what will happen to services in the rural south, which have been ongoing since a first public meeting with health bosses in July 2015.

That meeting was attended by hundreds and there have been calls for a follow-up since December.

Concerns have been raised over staffing issues, dwindling beds and the lack of a long-term site lease at Ludlow Hospital, as well as shifting plans for urgent care in south Shropshire with "centres" no longer on the cards for Bishop's Castle, Bridgnorth and Ludlow hospitals, but a general "services" upgrade instead.

The possible loss of Shrewsbury A&E is also a major concern as health bosses plan to close either the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or Princess Royal unit.

Mr Dunne will join a panel for a "Question Time" style debate on September 29, from 7pm at Ludlow School, at a meeting organised by Ludlow Town Council and Shropshire Council's Ludlow and Clee Local Joint Committee (LJC).

He will be joined by Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for rural services, and George Candler, the council's director of places and planning though, unlike last year's meeting, no-one from the county's multiple NHS trusts will be speaking.

Paul Draper, mayor of Ludlow, said: "We are faced with unprecedented challenges here in Ludlow."

"We are being pressed to take on services from Shropshire Council. At the same time local health services are under threat.

"We need to fight hard to ensure that rural towns like ours, and the villages in the south of the county, are not cut off from essential services.

"There is a very real danger that services and health facilities will be sucked out of Ludlow.

"We may find that we have to travel to Shrewsbury and Telford for many of our essential health and social needs."

Tracey Huffer, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow South, and a nurse at Ludlow's Station Drive surgery, added:

"Health services in Shropshire and across England are stretched. Shropshire's Clinical Commissioning Group is overspending by millions.

"The planned reorganisation of health services in the county will see one A&E department close.

"No one knows that's going to happen to Ludlow Community Hospital over the next few years. It is important that we debate all these issues in public."

Andy Boddington, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow North and chair of the LJC, added: "Rural areas seem to lose out time and time again when budgets are squeezed.

"We must discuss these matters locally and make our views heard before decisions are made.