Call to Ludlow surgery campaigners to end fight

Fresh calls have today been made for campaigners to drop their bid to maintain a doctor's surgery in Ludlow town centre over fears it could derail plans for a new £27 million hospital.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said the actions of the Save a Ludlow Town Surgery (Salts) group were 'high risk' and could derail the 'once in a generation' opportunity to build the new hospital at Ludlow Eco-Business Park on the outskirts of the town just months before building work is expected to start.

And Councillor Martin Taylor-Smith, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow South and a member of the authority's cabinet, said the actions of campaigners risked ruining chance to bring top quality healthcare services to the town.

Ludlow Hospital Development Board is to discuss progress on the project today, and a final decision on whether the new hospital, which will serve a huge area across south Shropshire and parts of Mid Wales, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, will be built is expected to be made by the Strategic Health Authority in May.

It comes after Joyce Brand, of Salts, called on members of Ludlow Town Council to support a campaign by a group of residents to keep a doctor's surgery in the town centre at a meeting on Monday night. The Salts group claims to have collected more than 800 signatures on a petition backing their campaign.

Under the plans, the Portcullis and Station Drive surgeries will move to the new hospital next to the A49 on the outskirts of the town when it opens in 2014.

Mr Dunne said: "The proposed hospital is a once in a generation opportunity to bring 21st century healthcare facilities to Ludlow. I believe the Strategic Health Authority is most unlikely to give final approval in May for this new healthcare facility if it does not provide integrated primary care."