Stuart Anderson MP Champions Healthcare Facilities in South Shropshire
Community healthcare facilities must be ‘front and centre’ of government plans for the NHS, Stuart Anderson MP has said. It comes as a major consultation is launched on plans for the next decade of the NHS. The so-called “national conversation’ on the future of the NHS seeks ideas on how it can become a “neighbourhood health service.” Plans proposed by government include creating ‘neighbourhood health centres’ that consist of multi-disciplinary teams which are closer to people’s homes.
Launching the consultation, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting has pledged to “rebuild the health service around what patients tell us they need.” Stuart has written to him, calling for a meeting to discuss healthcare facilities in Ludlow and the surrounding areas, as he seeks to champion investment in local facilities. It follows a visit earlier this year to Ludlow Community Hospital. In recent years, there has been a reduction in services at the site and the building has continued to show signs of significant deterioration.
Stuart has endorsed proposals for redevelopment at Ludlow Eco Park, which he said show promising signs of a solution to improve health provision in the area. He added that the Eco Park, owned by Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (ShropComm), is one mile away from the current building and has great potential to become a fantastic local healthcare community hub for patients, who would no longer have to travel so far. The proposal is backed by local NHS officials and GPs.
The campaign follows similar investment under the last government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which has seen more than £12 million invested across South Shropshire to support businesses and communities. It included a capital retrofit of Highley Health and Wellbeing Centre to improve the community facility.
The extra investment is part of Stuart’s plan to enhance public services across South Shropshire. Understanding the pressures they are under, Stuart has been campaigning to improve services such as efforts to back our community hospitals. In March, Stuart welcomed former Health Minister Andrew Stephenson to Shropshire to find out more about the plans with a visit Ludlow Community Hospital.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“I am proud to represent South Shropshire. The health and wellbeing of my constituents is a top priority of mine. I want to do all that I can to secure better investment for local services that improves the quality of services in rural areas like mine to make them faster, simpler, and fairer to access and achieve better outcomes for our residents. I am clear about the importance of community healthcare facilities for rural communities and will push the government to recognise this as part of its plans to transform the NHS into a neighbourhood health service. That’s why I have invited Health Secretary Wes Streeting to meet with me in either Parliament or on the site in Ludlow to discuss the proposal in more detail.”
