Bishop’s Castle Hospital Closure
We were all shocked recently when the Shropshire Community Health Trust suddenly announce it was temporarily closing Bishop’s Castle Hospital. This was done without warning and without consulting the community.
Since then, my colleagues, Ruth Houghton and Nigel Hartin, and I have been campaigning hard to ensure that our local hospital re-opens soon and is not permanently shut on one pretext or another. We have written an open letter to the Chief Executive and appeared many times in the press and on Radio Shropshire. We are also asking questions at the County’s Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.
So far, this pressure has at least stopped the removal of the community health services team from BC to Craven Arms
We are concerned on two counts. First that this will impact on local health care as winter approaches and second, that this is the first step in a closure process.
We will fight any proposed permeant closure tooth and nail.
Ambulances
I have campaigned on Ambulance response times for many years. They have never been good and are now getting worse as ambulance stations close, ambulances are sucked away into the urban West Midlands, and are seriously held up at our hospitals. Co-operation between the Hospital Trust and the Ambulance service is indifferent leading to episodes such as 17 ambulances queuing to discharge patients at the Princess Royal the other evening.
Although poor funding from central government does not help, poor management at the hospitals makes things much worse. My colleagues and I will continue to bring pressure to bear on them by bringing their shortcomings into the public domain through the press, radio and various scrutiny panels.
Marton Shop
Marton Shop is currently being renovated by the local couple who have taken over as tenants. Hopefully, it will re-open before too long.
B4386 Repairs
THE B4386 from Little Worthen To Winsley Cottages will have works carried out to fill and top dress next March from 16 to 25 .
The sections further north towards the A5 were meant to be done earlier this year but the budget ran out. That now is scheduled for 22/23.
Snailbeach Road Works
Western power had originally asked to close the road through Snailbeach for 8 days in December. After two site meetings with them and have got them to reduce is to closure for 4 days 29 November – 2 December. 9am till 3.30pm. There will be access to homes plus the pub and the shop although you might have to wait until they move some of the plant.
Finally, may I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!
Best wishes
Heather Kidd,
Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen Division,
Tel 079806 35518 email heather.kidd@shropshire.gov.uk www.heatherkidd.org Facebook too!