Ludlow GP campaign group ready to push for town provision (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Ludlow GP campaign group ready to push for town provision

12:00pm Thursday 17th January 2013 in News By Adrian Kibbler

THE group that campaigned to save a GP surgery in Ludlow is sorry about the doubts cast over the hospital and health district project.

But the Save a Ludlow Town Surgery Group (SALT) believes the problem with starting the work – as reported last week – vindicates its concerns about the privatelyfunded scheme.

It also claims a key argument – that the hospital and health village could only happen if both Ludlow GP surgeries were located on the site – has been exposed as flawed.

The £27 million hospital and health village cannot start until an issue regarding the underwriting of the project by the NHS is sorted out.

Under new legislation there is no absolute commitment by the NHS to cover the cost of the project and the private sector f u n d e r , believed to be a major national i n s u r a n c e  c o m p a n y , wants a copperbottomed guarantee.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne is attempting to get the impasse resolved and is in talks with ministers at the Department of Health.

“I am sorry there are now doubts about the hospital but we do wonder why a private sector partner that stands to make a lot of money from this believes it should have an absolute guarantee,”

said Joyce Brand, leader of SALT.

“If you are in business then you accept an element of risk.”

Joan is keen to point out that the idea the group’s opposition to the plan somehow put the it in jeopardy has been proved irrelevant.

“This was, of course, the core of the argument on which Philip Dunne et al attacked the SALT campaign,”

said Joyce .

“There is still a core membership.

“The strategy is to hold fire until we see the hospital under construction and then re-launch the campaign.

“We are looking at possibilities for an in-town provision and means of accomplishing it.”