Council pledges to maintain fight to keep A&E at Telford

It comes despite criticism by Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski and others who raised concerns over the authority's plans to spend taxpayers' money on what he says should be a "clinically-led" and "independent project".

Telford & Wrekin Council is to launch a 24/7 A&E campaign, using money from £100,000 it has put aside. The authority says it has a responsibility to lobby on behalf of the town and that the money has come because of an underspend in its budget.

And today councillor Shaun Davies stressed that the authority would continue to fight to keep A&E at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, despite a backlash against its campaign to keep it.

He said: "Telford & Wrekin will work with our residents, our businesses and others to make the case for Telford."

His comments came after an open letter in the Shroipshire Star from Simon Wright, chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, explained why change was needed.

The NHS Future Fit programme, conducted jointly by Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Telford and Wrekin CCG, suggests there should only be one emergency department in the county. This decision would see the A&E unit at either the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or the Princess Royal Hospital closing.

Mr Kawczynski last month said he would "probe" the authority's plans to use the money in a bid to keep the service at Telford's PRH – but warned the council could be "setting itself up for a fall".

He said: "It is very important this process is fair/even handed. Clinicians from Future Fit should be allowed to conclude their work. This is very much an independent and clinically led investigation into the optimum provision for A&E services across the whole of Shropshire and Mid Wales going forward. We are in Shrewsbury all respecting the fact it is clinically led and independent, and doctors and clinicians will make the decision in the interest of all people in Shropshire and Mid Wales."

He announced on Saturday that he would undertake extensive meetings with the Ministry of Health to fight for A&e to remain at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

An announcement on the decision over the county's Future Fit shake-up was deferred in October- and now plans have gone back to the drawing board.

It is considering three options for the future of A&E in Shropshire.

Option one to keep the unit in Telford would cost a predicted £294 million. Telford's Princess Royal Hospital would house the county's only A&E department, along with an urgent care centre, local planned care and obstetrics. Royal Shrewsbury Hospital would lose its A&E department, but would provide a diagnostic treatment centre, an urgent care centre and local planned care.

Option two would cost around £354 million- it would include Royal Shrewsbury Hospital housing the county's only A&E department, along with an urgent care centre, local planned care and obstetrics. Princess Royal Hospital would lose its A&E department, but would provide a diagnostic treatment centre, an urgent care centre and local planned care.

Option three would cost £280 million - Royal Shrewsbury Hospital would house the county's only accident and emergency department, along with an urgent care centre and local planned care. Princess Royal Hospital would lose its A&E department, but obstetrics would remain along with diagnostic treatment centre, urgent care and local planned care.