GP surgery steps in to take over services at Ludlow hospital after doctor colleagues pull out

But another surgery in Ludlow which had been sharing the burden of providing GP care at the town's community hospital has decided to take over full responsibility in the new year.

In a statement Portcullis Surgery said it had been an "honour and a privilege" to serve the community at Dinham ward for the past 30 years.

"We are particularly proud of the additional service that we provided during evenings and weekends over the Covid pandemic."

But chiefs at the surgery say that have felt "for some time" that the "increasing demands from Ludlow hospital have become unsustainable".

They add that they have "decided to put our own patients' care above everything else in the hope that this will result in improved patient access and appointment times in the new year."

The town's Station Drive Surgery says in a statement that it is "fully committed to supporting Ludlow Hospital and the local community".

"Ludlow Hospital's future would look bleak without any GP support and we hope all our patients will support us in this decision.

"The hospital is an integral part of the clinical services offered to both our own patients and those across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

"It is also a major employer in our town and many of our patients, friends and acquaintances work there.

"Ensuring it remains open and continues to provide clinical care is very important to all of us here at the surgery."

Station Drive Surgery will take on full responsibility for the medical cover at Ludlow Hospital from January 1. Historically it has been shared between both of the Ludlow GP practices.

It adds that it will mean that there may be times where the GP partners are "slightly less accessible at Station Drive Surgery".

But the statement goes on to say: "We would like to wholeheartedly reassure you that this will not affect patient care.

"We are extremely fortunate to have an excellent, stable, senior clinical team with Kate Langman, Jane Taylor, Leigh Dalton and Matt Ziola having joined us over the past 18 months, providing frontline clinical care in the same way as the partners.

"In addition, our long-term nursing team whom many of you know, headed up by Tonia Meyrick and Gemma, continue providing nursing care and clinical support.

"To ensure we have adequate appointments available we are absolutely delighted to announce that one of our extra GPs will be Dr Cook, who retired last year but remains a vital and valued part of the Station Drive team."