Shropshire town bidding to run urgent health care centre in trial
A GP-led urgent care centre could be run on a trial basis in a Shropshire town, it has been revealed.
The centre could be set up at Bishop's Castle Community Hospital as health chiefs look to reorganise NHS services in the county.
According to the town's patients' group, the Future Fit board is now considering Bishop's Castle as a place to trial a prototype of the new urgent care centres set to take over from minor injury units (MIUs).
Under the ongoing NHS Future Fit review, only four hospitals in the county are likely to get urgent care centres, and two of those will be Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal.
Ludlow and Bridgnorth have MIUs, but Bishop's Castle does not. But the town is in the frame after residents made the case for an urgent care centreat a public meeting earlier this month.
A spokesman for the patients' group said: "Bishop's Castle Patients Group (BCPG) has developed a proposition for a prototype urgent care centre to be located at Bishop's Castle Community Hospital as part of a push for better patient care closer to home.
"The proposed changes will also benefit patients in east Montgomeryshire.
Meanwhile health bosses will be speaking to residents about NHS Future Fit proposals at a meeting on February 25 at Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, at 7pm.
