A “proud” Ludlow mum has said she has “had enough” of the poor quality of health provision for children in her town so has compiled a survey to get the views from other parents.

Stacey Harris, who is also a town councillor, says that "being a parent in Ludlow is a lot harder than it used to be" due to the lack of health services.

She said: “One obvious problem, unless you have a home birth, and the hospital trust strongly discourages those, the only place left to give birth in Shropshire, is Telford.

“We used to have a midwife-led birthing unit here in Ludlow. It closed on and off right through 2017 and was closed – officially on an interim basis, in practice permanently – in June 2018.

“Telford’s a long way from Ludlow. Campaigners have asked before how many babies are born at the side of the road before their mums ever make it to Telford?”

She continued: “The only place you can get a hearing test for your child seems to be… wait for it… Telford. That’s for new-born tests, for babies who have missed their new-born tests, and for older children where there are concerns about their hearing. That’s a joke.”

She added that parents who have children with special needs find that The Child Development Centres are in Shrewsbury and in Telford.

“Don’t be a kid in Ludlow” seems to be the main conclusion here,” said Stacey, who represents Rockspring ward on the town council. “I really have had enough now. In the time I’ve been a mum, there’s a sense of fewer and fewer services being available to us here in Ludlow.

“I’m lucky, I suppose. At least I can drive. That means it’s not the end of the world when an essential appointment for my child is an hour’s drive away. But what about all the parents in Ludlow and South Shropshire who don’t have access to a car? The barriers to them getting the right care for their child are huge.

“We need some basics in place. Why do we have to travel to Telford for something as simple as a hearing test?

“I feel so strongly about this. It shouldn’t be a battle for parents to get the care their children need. They shouldn’t have to give up half a day for an appointment that might only last a few minutes.

“There are other things we need. Basic X-ray services for children would be great. We already have the equipment at Ludlow Hospital for goodness’ sake. And if NHS leaders will upgrade our Minor Injuries Unit to an Urgent Treatment Centre – the promise made to us almost exactly ten years ago, by the way – this would make life easier for children and easier for all of us.”

So frustrated with the situation is Stacey, she has joined forces with Ludlow Health Campaign, a group set up by organisers of a public meeting about Ludlow Hospital and the town’s health care in February this year.

Together they have started a survey to hear what other parents think.

“We want to change things for the better. I suppose we’re a health care ginger group, really,” said Stacey. “As a campaign, we plan to find out about local issues – get the facts, get the data, get the personal stories. And that gives us the ammunition we need to go back to NHS bosses and explain to them why they need to change their services. Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin is a huge area. Sticking almost all the health care in the two biggest towns makes no sense at all.”

If you would like to air your views on Ludlow’s services for parents, visit the survey on: https://forms.gle/vbzkWShNdRmAFKbq7

NHS Shropshire Telford & Wrekin has been approached for comment.