Lives will be put at risk if A&E is moved, says study

Welshpool Town Council undertook the Mid Wales Health Study earlier this year and it will now present its findings to to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust and Powys teaching Health Board.

The council will hold the presentation at the town hall on December 2 at 11.30am and members of the public are welcome.

The study, compiled by the town council and the North Montgomeryshire Local Council Forum, said the A&E must remain at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital until there is proper provision put in place for patients over the border.

The report warns that if the A&E department is moved to Telford it could result in the loss of lives.

It says: "It is recommended that the A&E and support services are retained at Shrewsbury until at least there is proper Mid Wales provision to serve the area of the study. There is a strong feeling that removing A&E along with other services from Shrewsbury would put lives at risk and further disadvantage th population of Mid Wales."

The report also recommends that the Welsh Assembly sends funding directly to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust.

The information is based on information gained from surveys handed out in Mid Wales between July 1 and 15.

It adds: "The remit for the study and survey was to diagnose the issues and identify potential solutions for providing accessible, high quality, safe and sustainable healthcare services, which are best suited to meet the specific needs of those living in Mid Wales."

Another recommendation from the report is that a hospital transport scheme needs to be set up.

It says: "A hospital transport scheme needs to be introduced, perhaps a mini bus service from set centres to Shrewsbury and Telford to support the lack of public transport to points of care at both the hospitals."

Meanwhile, the report added: "There were a significant number of people who commented on the extensive number of surveys being carried out and felt they were now 'surveyed out' with little sign of results from such surveys."

The report comes as the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups work on the Future Fit programme.

The Future Fit programme is examining how health services in the county can best be provided in the future, including hospital services, the role of GP practices and community care.

A number of options have already been considered as far as A&E is concerned, including building a new A&E centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, building a new centre at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford or putting a new purpose-built centre halfway between the two towns.