Bishop's Castle: Meeting held over inpatient bed closure

Sixteen of the inpatient beds at Bishop's Castle Community Hospital had temporarily closed in 2021

About 150 people have attended a public meeting on the future of a community hospital in Shropshire.

Sixteen inpatient beds at Bishop's Castle Community Hospital have been temporarily closed but could go permanently amid staff shortages.

Campaigners at the meeting on Monday evening called for better pay for nurses to address staffing concerns.

The trust which runs the hospital said there was no "reasonable prospect" of re-opening the 16-bed ward.

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust added it had been unable to secure the "right level of staff" and said its conclusion had been the "right" one "on safety grounds".

Since the beds were closed temporarily in October 2021, most patients had been cared for at home or at Ludlow Community Hospital.

'Staff struggling'

Held at the Community College school hall, the meeting included representatives from the hospital trust and Integrated Care Board after being arranged by local councillors.

Clair Hobbs, the trust's director of nursing and workforce, said 60% of nursing posts were vacant at the hospital.

"Our staff were struggling, they were doing double shifts - doing a day shift and staying on because agency workers hadn't turned up and doing a night shift as well, which is incredibly unsafe," she added.

But councillor Heather Kidd, who represents Chirbury and Worthen, said it was important for residents to have access to health services closer to home.

"It was used hugely and certainly it was really important for those people who live locally, not to have to travel to Ludlow for hospital because there's no public transport if their loved ones were there," she told BBC Radio Shropshire.

The trust said it was carrying out public engagement before a final decision is made at a meeting of its board of directors on 3 August.