Having visited the hospital with local MP Philip Dunne, Mr Lansley said: "It is quite clear to me that the health needs of people in Ludlow and its surrounding area justify retaining local delivery of healthcare with a community hospital at its heart. There is clearly scope for creating a health village in Ludlow, bringing GPs and other medical practitioners onto an upgraded and modernised hospital. This is after all the direction the Government claims to be taking healthcare locally. Yet here in Ludlow wards, beds and jobs are at stake.
I will be very interested to see the plans which emerge from the current feasibility study to see if Ludlow Community Hospital can secure a viable future as a provider of NHS funded healthcare locally, while not being directly managed by the PCT which otherwise plans to cut services to balance its books."
Mr Dunne said: "I am delighted Ludlow has received such strong backing from Andrew Lansley, the Conservative Party's most senior spokesman on health. We need to get this right for Ludlow to ensure we secure a high quality hospital providing for present and future generations."
Chairman of the League of Friends, Peter Corfield said: "It is encouraging to secure support from across the political spectrum for what we are trying to achieve in Ludlow."
Photo: Philip Dunne and Andrew Lansley at Ludlow Community Hospital
