NHS in Shropshire special report: How the changes will affect Telford

The plans by the Future Fit programme board tasked with heading up a shake-up of health services in the county may have been thrown out but the message from health bosses is clear. There can still only be one A&E unit in Shropshire, based at either Telford or Shrewsbury.

Telford & Wrekin Council leader Kuldip Sahota says it has to be in Telford, and pointed to the success of the new £28 million Women and Children's Centre as reason enough for centralising services in the town.

The council has thrown its weight and support unanimously behind keeping A&E at PRH – unlike their counterparts at Shropshire Council – in a motion at a full council meeting earlier this year.

Councillor Sahota said: "The success of the Women's & Children's Centre since it opened just over a year ago is the best example of why emergency services should stay at the PRH.

"The reasons for building this at PRH were very simple – the overwhelming majority of births in the Shropshire area are to mothers in the PRH's catchment.

"On this fact alone, any idea of moving this to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) because it must be next an A&E facility is utter nonsense.

"People simply cannot understand how a trust desperate to save money to solve its snowballing deficit, can even consider closing and moving such a fantastic facility that has just opened at a cost of almost £30 million.

"On every level, it makes absolutely no sense. The only thing that makes sense is that, against this background, Future Fit must support the most affordable option because we must invest as much as possible in community service to prevent people from needing hospital in the first place and receiving care closer to home.

"The case for PRH as the most cost effective site, with scope for development and issues such as visitor parking, that can be delivered with minimum fuss and disruption is clearer than ever.

"That is before you add in Telford's fast growing population and its very clear health inequalities and needs that make a fully functioning acute hospital with 24/7 A&E facilities here is a must.

"The PRH is not just the hospital for people in Telford and Wrekin. For large parts of Shropshire, such as Albrighton, Bridgnorth, Broseley, Much Wenlock, Market Drayton and Shifnal it is their hospital too."

The bid to keep A&E in Telford is also being backed by the town's two Tory MPs, Telford MP Lucy Allan and Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard.

Ms Allan said it was "absolutely vital" that A&E remained in Telford. She said: "When Telford and the surrounding area is home to the largest population in Shropshire, as well as being the fastest growing town in the West Midlands, it is surely common sense to provide services where the greatest number of people are.

"Not only this, but there is a significant health inequality between Telford and the rest of Shropshire and I think we can all agree that key services need to be placed where they are going to deliver the most benefit.

"With a new £28 million women and children's centre opened only a couple of years ago at the PRH and excellent transport links, it is clear in my view that Telford should be the home of the new critical care unit."

She said even if it went against them, it was critical a decision on the site of the new single A&E was made "sooner rather than later", a thought that has also been echoed by Mr Pritchard who said delays to the whole process had placed unnecessary stress on staff, patients and local residents.

"There must be a decision in 2016," he said.

"I have made my views crystal clear – Telford's growing population requires a fully functioning accident and emergency unit.

"The problem for the Future Fit programme is that any additional delays or mishaps will call the credibility of the whole programme into question. Whatever happens I will continue standing up for the interests of my constituents in The Wrekin."

According to one health campaigner, there is no need to choose between the sites.

David Sandbach, former chief executive at the Princess Royal, has submitted a plan to Future Fit bosses to keep emergency services on both sites.

He said: "I have asked the Future Fit Board to consider an acute service model which provides a surgical emergency and trauma centre based at RSH and a medical emergency centre based at PRH.

"RSH would deal with the most serious surgical emergency case load and the PRH would deal with the most serious medical emergency cases load.

"I believe my proposal builds on the strength of each hospital and at the same time meets the needs of all residents."