Stuart Anderson MP has launched a major review into the delivery of health and social care services in South Shropshire.
As part of this, Stuart is inviting residents to respond to a new survey which seeks information on their experience of using local health and social care services.
It is part of Stuart’s long term campaign to enhance public services in South Shropshire. Stuart wants to understand the pressures they are under and support efforts to improve services like community hospitals.
Stuart has said that he is determined to reduce rural disparities in the access and quality of these services to achieve better outcomes.
This includes the Farming Wellbeing Gap, which refers to the significant disparity in mental and physical health between the agricultural community and the general population.
Stuart’s campaign follows research from the House of Commons Library, which has found that South Shropshire has a higher than average prevalence of major health conditions.
This includes cancer (6.4%), heart disease (4.4%), dementia (1.27%), and respiratory diseases like COPD (2.06%) and asthma (7.3%).
At the same time, South Shropshire has a higher than average ratio of patients per GP – reflecting the ongoing case of worse provision in more rural areas.
In August 2025, only 68.5% of cancer patients in South Shropshire were treated within 62 days compared to the operational standard of 85%.
Shropshire Council’s spending on social care has also increased from 58% to 74% over the last six years. Stuart has warned that council tax reforms could worsen this situation.
Stuart intends to submit the findings of the survey to Government Ministers to help shape local health and social care policy.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“As part of my ongoing campaign to enhance public services in South Shropshire, I have been out and about speaking to partners and residents about their own experiences. I know that the delivery of health and social care in South Shropshire is complex because of the rural dimension. The remoteness of public services presents unique challenges for both those accessing and delivering these vital services.
“I have launched my review into healthcare across South Shropshire to find out more about how we can best address them. Through my survey, I want to know what everyone thinks we can do to improve these services and which areas are not quite right. I also want to know what we can do to provide the best social care, that we can afford it, and that it works for everyone. I will use these findings to help shape health and social care in South Shropshire.”