Trainee doctors plan for Ludlow's new health complex

Trainee doctors could be brought to Ludlow to work at the town's planned £27 million health complex, it was revealed today.

Officials at Ludlow Conference Centre want to build a £315,000 two-storey extension to their accommodation block in Lower Galdeford and refurbish existing rooms to cater for up to 11 medical students from Keele University.

The students would take up work placements at the town's GP surgeries.

These will be based at Ludlow Eco Business Park as part of a £27 million development to include a new hospital for the town.

Tina Healy, director at the centre, said: "The ground floor is being refurbished with an extension built, in order to house 11 medical students, that's the hope.

"It's a fantastic opportunity - we will have medical students here on work experience placements across south Shropshire and with the new hospital in the pipeline, that's exciting. I think it's going to be a brilliant thing, both for us and for Ludlow."

She said activities would be taking place to help raise the cash for the project.

John Johnson, business manager for the Faculty of Health at Keele University, said they wanted to place students in areas where they could get experience of rural general practice.

He said: "Getting students out there and working in the community encourages them to take up general practice but also to work in rural areas. If they don't experience it in their training, they tend not to go and work there."

The centre currently has two 12-bed dormitories and a number of single and double rooms that can sleep a total of 48 people.

Under the plans, some of these would be knocked together to create nine study bedrooms on the ground floor. The extension would include a further two bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room. The rooms would have their own washing and toilet facilities.

The consultation period on the plans will end on Wednesday.

By Peter Kitchen