I FEAR that very few Ludlow residents are aware of the decision to make changes in local accident and emergency provision for Shropshire.

Shropshire Care Commissioning Group has allocated a contract to the private health provider Malling Care to run an urgent care centre at Shrewsbury Hospital.

This centre will see all patients who attend the accident and emergency department and will only refer on to accident and emergency those patients deemed by them as needing that provision.

There are two significant aspects to the decision.

Firstly, the contract has been awarded to a private provider without any competition for the contract which may well have been a bid from within the health service itself .

Secondly, Malling Care at the end of its contract will find itself in prime position to acquire the contract for the urgent care centre which will replace the existing accident and emergency department.

I would advise people to read the proposals for change.

They will alter, to the detriment of Shropshire residents, the face of emergency services in Shropshire.

JOYCE BRAND

College Street

Ludlow