Ludlow Hospital friends 'have lost all confidence' in Shropshire Future Fit health review

Peter Corfield, chair of the League of Friends of Ludlow Hospital, said concerns had reached the stage where the body felt the need to speak out on the issue.

The letter has been sent to Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, and both Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group.

The last time the group issued a similar statement was in 2006 when, Mr Crofield said, the league was driven to speak up by threats of the loss of a range of services, from maternity to elderly mentally infirm and rehabilitation beds.

He said it was accepted by leading health authorities in 2006 and reaffirmed by Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust in 2013.

But since, He said the league had "lost all confidence" in Future Fit and added: "There must be a clear statement or unequivocal guarantee of the long-term future of services to our rural community."

Mr Corfield said: "We believe that Ludlow Hospital is a crucial element in providing healthcare facilities to south Shropshire."

due to exceptional rurality, a higher than average proportion of elderly residents, poor public transport links and inferior roads which all complicate or deny access to routine healthcare provision in Shrewsbury or Telford.

"Regrettably the hospital has suffered over many years from lack of appropriate investment by successive health authorities, resulting in inflexibility and poorly structured accommodation.

"Despite initial close involvement with Future Fit, the league has lost all confidence in the project's ability to address the community needs in the rural areas and if anything the process appears to have led to all the community services being at imminent risk of reduction, repatriation to the acute hospital sites or closing altogether.

"The league believes therefore that it is imperative that some firm commitments must be delivered by the CCG, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, as to the future of community hospitals," he said.