PROTESTERS from Ludlow joined a march involving hundreds of people who expressed their concerns about the future of NHS services in Shropshire.

Among the marchers was Gill George from Ludlow who heads the Defend our NHS group who also spoke to a mass of protesters.

Around 500 people braved torrential rain to march from Wellington town centre to the Princess Royal Hospital.

The demonstration was organised by Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Defend Our NHS campaign, in response to the leaked news that health bosses want to close down the Accident and Emergency and Women’s and Children’s Centre at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital, and end cancer care and planned surgery including cataract surgery, hip and knee replacement surgery at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Speakers at a pre-march rally were united in their opposition to cuts and closures at either hospital, warning of the dangers of ‘divide and rule’ tactics from NHS decision makers.

Gill George spoke of the need for unity if anything is to be achieved.

“The worst nightmare of health bosses is that we stand united, Telford and Wrekin people and Shropshire people in absolute unity, to send a single message to them ‘You will not touch the Princes Royal Hospital, you will not touch the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital',” Gill George told the marchers.

Gill described it as utterly unacceptable to close the Accident and Emergency and Women’s and Children’s Centre at the Princess Royal, and the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury.

She condemned the £147.5m cuts every year being pushed through the local NHS, and called on MPs to ensure adequate NHS funding instead of supporting ‘their’ A&E and being willing to let everyone else die.

Tony Robinson, a retired GP from Ludlow, gave a medical perspective, and warned of the risks associated with travelling long distances to Accident and Emergency. He talked about working as a doctor at Shrewsbury Hospital before the Princess Royal Hospital was built, remembering the time it took patients to travel to Shrewsbury.

He said: “We must fight and fight and fight to maintain the Accident and Emergency and the Women’s and Children’s Centre here in Telford and work with Shrewsbury for two Accident and Emergency departments for our county.”