Concerns raised about the future of Ludlow MIU

GPs from Ludlow say they are worried about the figures used in the review looking at community care in Shropshire.

The review will look at the county’s four MIU's in Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Whitchurch and Oswestry and community beds.

Figures from the review say the number of attendances at MIU’s are relatively low – less than one patient per hour in some units.

The number of attendances at Ludlow MIU last year was 3,757 – of that figure 75 per of patients that attended did not require any diagnostic tests other than a clinical examination.

The figures also show that in 2017 Ludlow MIU was closed on five occasions due to staffing shortages.

In a statement submitted on behalf of the partners of Portcullis and Station Drive Surgery in Ludlow it states: "We feel this discussion is premature as the data used in this working document is still incomplete and can be potentially misleading and may lead to bias.

"A number of requests have been made to the CCG to improve the data so that it is more accurate, more representative and less subject to potential bias and many of our requests have been ignored.

"We believe that statistics and data in the document are being used in a misleading and biased way in order to favour the closure of some or all community hospitals.

"We do not feel that the views of all doctors in the group or their suggestions for improvement have been acted upon.

"Therefore we are considering potentially disengaging with the group as we have lost confidence in the CCG’s ability to be fair and unbiased in their documentation."

However health bosses have insisted the review is not about “cutting services”.

Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer at the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The NHS cannot cut services. It is more about efficiency than cost cutting.

“We launched the review due to some of the services we have were poorly commissioned.

“We have a rapidly ageing population and we are in deficit. So things need to change to be sustainable for the future.”

Tracey Huffer, councillor for Ludlow East, said: "I am shocked by the arrogant and incoherent way the CCG is working.

“Reform of local health services is essential as costs escalate and budgets are squeezed but the CCG hasn't listened to local GPs.

“The first stage of any consultation has to be with clinical professionals. That hasn't happened. That makes the proposed CCG consultation deeply flawed.

“The board of the CCG must start again by working with local GPs, as we have as councillors, to establish a new model of community health care services that works for the rural areas of the county."

Dr Finola Lynch, GP member of Shropshire CCG, said the review was a "working document" and further consultation was planned.

She said: "We have no pre-judgement. We want to talk to staff and patients to feed the information back into our review.”