I have been scrupulous in keeping party politics out of the local campaign to save our hospitals. Indeed I invited the Labour candidate for the Ludlow constituency to join the marches held at the start of this year through the streets of Bridgnorth and Ludlow; and to his credit he came.
National press has recently run an analysis of the location of hospitals under threat. There is a clear correlation between those hospitals faced with cuts or closures being disproportionately in Conservative and LibDem constituencies compared with Labour.
Last week at the Public Accounts Committee I had the chance to quiz the Chief Executive of the NHS. He denied any political interference or meetings with Ministers to discuss the location of hospital cuts. But he also denied knowing how many jobs will be cut across the NHS as a result of its current financial crisis. He is new to his job, to be fair, but he needs to get out more. Trained healthcare professionals are losing their jobs. Hospital services are being cut.
In Shropshire less is spent per head on mental health services already than the average across the country. Why should this cinderella service have to bear the brunt once more?
I hope the PCT Board will give Ludlow hospital a real chance to stay intact and buck this trend. All campaigners are seeking is to stop ward closures while the community comes up with a viable alternative.
