Oswestry pushing for urgent care unit

Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, the organisation responsible for healthcare in the county, will hold a meeting next week on the provision of urgent care across the county.

It was announced at a meeting of Oswestry Town Council, as the authority once again stressed the importance of the town having an urgent care centre – which will treat non-life threatening injuries – as well as calling for Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to keep its A&E department.

A preferred option for the location of a new single A&E unit for Shropshire – either at Telford's Princess Royal or the Royal Shrewsbury, supported by urgent care centres – was to be announced by those leading Future Fit, the programme outlining the reorganisation of county health services, last October. But the decision was deferred and could be made as late as June 2017.

David Preston, clerk to Oswestry Town Council, informed councillors at a meeting on Monday that Shropshire CCG had organised a meeting in the town on March 23 at the Guildhall. He said: "That will be a good meeting. It's important there is a good turnout to show the case for Oswestry."

Kevin Morris, practice manager at Cambrian Medical Centre in Oswestry, echoed the council's view. He said: "It's important the urgent care centre is based in Oswestry – the second biggest town in the county. The patient population of the town's three practices is 35,000. I want patients to avoid having to travel to Shrewsbury and Telford – the more done locally the better."

The meeting in Oswestry is one of a number being held by the CCG in the county.