Bishops Castle Residents Grill Health Trust on Future of Hospital
Around 150 residents, former patients and Councillors in the Bishop’s Castle Area packed a School hall in the town last night to grill representatives of local health bodies about their second attempt to close the hospital by stealth in the last 18 months.* Representatives from the Integrated Care Board and Shropshire Community Hospital Trust (ShropCom) answered questions from the public for around 90 minutes about their intentions regarding hospital beds and health care generally in the area.
It was pretty clear that the representatives of the Integrated Care Board and Shropcom were shocked at the strength of feeling amongst local residents and irritation about the way that they have handled this.
Officials from both bodies were subject to some forthright and pertinent questioning from the audience including from local GP Dr Adrian Penny who criticised the half-hearted nature of their attempts at recruitment and the lack of imagination.
Thanks should be given to the Patients Group, the Community College. The Chair Grant Perry and Bishops Castle Mayor, Josh Dicken, for their help and support.
Shropcom’s ‘Engagement’ finishes on 17 July.