Community hospital inpatient unit reopens in July

Campaigners were delighted when it was confirmed in April the hospital would reopen

An inpatient unit at a community hospital that closed more than two years ago will reopen next month, a health trust has confirmed.

Bishop's Castle Community Hospital was shut temporarily in October 2021 due to staffing and safety concerns.

Campaigners fought for its reopening, which was confirmed in April after a recruitment campaign.

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust said clinical staff would return at the start of July, with an initial 16 patients accepted a fortnight later.

The trust had previously declined to confirm when the service was due to officially start accepting patients.

But papers put before the trust's board meeting on Thursday confirmed recommissioning plans were on track for 1 July.

The first patients will be admitted to the hospital from 15 July, according to plans

A number of task and finish groups are now meeting weekly to ensure facilities are ready on time, a report presented to the meeting said.

Chief executive Patricia Davies told the meeting the hospital would now play a wider role in delivering rural care in south Shropshire.

Wellbeing drop-in sessions are being held at the hospital and a social proscribing community network started meeting there in May.

"It really is starting to become a rural health and care hub for that community, radiating out into some of the other areas too," she said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.