Shrewsbury MP hits out at council leader's call to delay Future Fit plans

Shaun Davies, leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, urged health bosses to rethink proposals to revamp the county's major hospitals with plans "from a pre-Covid world".

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, has criticised councillor Davies' comments and said his campaigning against the plan has delayed it for seven years at the taxpayers' expense.

Major progress is expected in 2021 on proposals to re-shape services at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford – in which Telford would lose it's A&E and women's and children's services.

Councillor Davies said the impact of the pandemic could leave the NHS spending hundreds of millions of pounds on a plan which wouldn't be suitable for a post-Covid society.

Mr Kawczynski argued against his comments and said further delays due to opposition has resulted in a £500 million estimate for the plan. He said he will take the issue to the Prime Minister.

"The vitriol and vocal campaigning against Future Fit by Shaun Davies and the council has delayed the process by seven years at a massive cost to local taxpayers," he said. "The next estimate says it will cost more than £500 million. This one man has delayed this.

"I am very concerned about the latest salvo from Shaun Davies who is obviously trying to utilise the current crisis to overturn yet again the collective will of 300 local surgeons, doctors and consultants. What I find fascinating in this whole process is these are the people who day in day out provide essential services and life-saving operations in our hospitals.

"Now 300 of them have come together to say the best way of securing patient safety in A&E is this plan. There is nothing more evocative or emotional than A&E services. These hospitals cover the whole of the Shropshire area and mid Wales. His attitude is jeopardising this investment. It is putting people's lives at risk.’

He added: "The doctors are saying until these changes are made, local lives are endangered. His actions will lead to difficulties for patients.

"I can't allow this to happen so I will be contacting the Prime Minister and the government whips to see whether they can intervene and drive this investment. We have allowed councillor Davies to hold a gun to our heads for the last seven years and I think he is firing blanks."

The plans, which have been agreed by local health bosses and backed by several of Shropshire's MPs, would see Shrewsbury become home to the county's only 24 hour A&E.

Consultant-led women and children's services would also move from Telford to Shrewsbury, with PRH becoming a centre for planned care.