Petition launches in support of Shropshire's community hospitals

Labour Party members in Ludlow have launched the petition which will be delivered to Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

They say there is uncertainty surrounding the future of the community hospitals.

The petition demands that “the CCG protect the level of service and facilities for all members the community” and that the community hospitals at Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Whitchurch and Bishop’s Castle, and the health centre in Oswestry, are kept open.

The process to find a new partner for the health trust running community hospitals and services in Shropshire has been delayed.

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust is expected to be acquired by another organisation this year.

Two trusts are in the frame – Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

A final decision was expected to be taken at a trust board meeting this month but the trust says there has been a delay.

The process is being led by NHS Improvement, but the regulator has now asked for more time to evaluate the submissions made by the two organisations on the shortlist.

NHS Improvement says it is a management reorganisation so will not impact on the way current services are delivered.

The CCG has also been reviewing community services in the county.

Labour Party members in Ludlow say there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen in the future and have organised the petition to show support for the community hospitals.

Labour member Charlie Peters, aged 15, started the petition.

He said: "This is just the beginning, we’ll gather many more signatures.

“Community hospitals are used by people of all ages.

“Ludlow Labour’s petition is open to everybody.

"Minor injury units and ongoing treatment, like renal dialysis, are a key part of our health system, especially for those of us who rely on public transport and lifts.

"Local beds could also be used to unblock the oversubscribed beds at our two acute, main hospitals.

"Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals are almost an hour away for some of our residents.”

The petition is also available to sign online at https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Shropshire_CCG_Shropshire_Health_Services_Under_Threat_Hands_off_our_Community_Hospitals/

Earlier this year, Ludlow Labour Party members launched the #ShropshireNeedsBeds campaign, encouraging people to make models of patients in beds and place them around the county to be found, photographed and uploaded to social media – similar to the Shropshire Rocks craze.

People were then being encouraged to hide the model in another public spot as part of a ‘bed hunt'.