Future Fit: Keep women and children's centre in Telford, says council leader

The area’s two Clinical Commissioning Groups met this week to consider the much-delayed consultation business case for Future Fit.

The plan is to reorganise services at the county’s two acute hospitals, the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.

Under the proposal’s preferred option for consultation, the PRH’s £28m Women & Childrens Centre, opened just three years ago, would move to the RSH.

This would reverse a decision endorsed by the then Minister of State for Health, Simon Burns MP, based on clinical need to concentrate Womens & Children services at the PRH.

Telford & Wrekin Council says the clinical need has not changed.

In April 2011, Mr Burns wrote to the Welsh Assembly about concerns being raised about maternity services at Shropshire’s hospitals.

He said a consultation published by the CCG’s forerunners, the area’s PCTs, and the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust (SaTH) outlined why the local NHS believed change was needed to some services in Shropshire including “inpatient children’s services and services provided in the maternity building at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Site”.

Council leader Shaun Davies has urged members of Telford & Wrekin CCG and lGPs to stand by the Minister’s statement.

“This was a decision based on clinical need. Nothing has changed,” he said.

“I call on the CCG members and GPs to remember the reasons why the women and children’s centre was built in Telford in the first place, as confirmed in a letter from the Minister just six years ago.

“If anything that need now is stronger and clearer than ever.

“I urge them to not support any decision that reverses this proven clinical need. Stick with your original plan and not a Future Fit plan that makes no sense.”