The gap between New Labour rhetoric and reality was vividly exposed last week by Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt as she unveiled her plans to shift medical care away from big hospitals and closer to patients.

Mrs Hewitt extolled the work done by community hospitals. The next day's front pages praised the return of the "cottage hospital".

But many people, me included, were left baffled by Hewitt's announcement. Didn't she realize that up and down the country, 80 out of 322 community hospitals are threatened with cuts or closure? Didn't she know that in Shropshire, all four of our community hospitals are facing the axe, even in Bridgnorth where an £6.5 million redevelopment is under way right now?

I took some heart from the fact that Mrs Hewitt used almost the same arguments as local campaigners against closures.

And I was encouraged the next day when I met her privately and explained our Community Hospitals are facing closure. She said she would tell Shropshire health bosses to make full use of community hospitals, where they are "viable".

But are these weasel words? Who decides if our local hospitals are viable? Why doesn't Mrs Hewitt put her fine words into action and secure their future?

I have written to Shropshire health chiefs to tell them of my meeting. We may be inching forward, but we cannot relax the pressure yet. This month is crucial to keep our Community Hospitals out of the formal list of savings to be determined by health bosses.