Vital services strike a chord (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Vital services strike a chord

THE Save Ludlow Hospital campaign has struck a chord with local folk because of deep-felt concern that the resource provides a number of vital services for the community and all these will be lost.

The hospital has three wards - "Stretton" with 25 consultant rehabilitation beds, "Clee" has 20 GP beds, which are supported by doctors from Ludlow's Portcullis and Station Drive surgeries, and "Whitcliffe" ward - under separate threat of closure - has 18 beds for elderly, mentally infirm patients.

One reason why Whitcliffe Ward is important is because of the disproportionately high level of elderly residents in the area.

Some 22% of the population of the hospital's catchment area is over 65, compared with 18% for the county and 16% for England.

There was also a maternity unit with nine beds. Ironically, it is little more than a decade since a vigorous local campaign saved it from closure.

Consultants from three NHS trusts handle 14 out-patient sessions a month, covering a range of core specialities, including elderly care, orthopaedics, gynaecology and eye care.

Additional clinics offer help with speech therapy, sexual health, chiropody and other essentials. A dental suite supports community dental services.

The minor injuries unit is open from 8am to 10pm seven days a week and sees around 7,000 people a year. There is also a children's centre, with paediatricians and specialist therapists.

In addition there is an x-ray department, with 3,000 contacts a year, and a physiotherapy department, with 5,000 contacts a year.

Like other community hospitals, Ludlow aims to bridge the gap between GPs' practices and the big general hospitals. Clee Ward enables GPs to undertake minor procedures on the spot.

As part of this bridge building, there is the Shropdoc co-operative that provides help at night and weekends.

A number of health-related voluntary organisations use the hospital in the evenings. These include Relate, which deals with relationship problems, and the MS Support Group. The hospital has good working links with local Social Services.

This has helped cut delays in discharging patients and has also played an important role in the Intermediate Care Scheme, which extends to Craven Arms and Cleobury Mortimer.