Decision paves way for public to have say on hospital changes
The people of Shropshire are finally set to get their say on plans for an overhaul of the county's major hospital services.
Shropshire's Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has followed its Telford & Wrekin counterparts in taking the significant step of signing off on Future Fit's "pre-consultation business case" and consultation documents, which will be used to ask the public what they think.
The move means that if the documents are validated by NHS England, a process expected to take around two weeks, then the public will finally get the long-awaited opportunity to make their own comments on the proposals from early December.
The consultation will put forward a preferred option for changes to the county's hospitals where Royal Shrewsbury Hospital becomes an emergency centre and the base for consultant-led women and children's services in the county, while Princess Royal Hospital Telford takes on responsibility for providing planned care.
Dr Julian Povey, chairman of Shropshire CCG's governing body, said he hoped that the public would be able to have their say on the plans, which have been at the centre of discussions for more than three years.
He said: "I think it is good news that this week the programme board, then Telford & Wrekin CCG board, then our board have all endorsed the pre-consultation business case and the consultation documents for submission to NHS England."
He added: "Both options within the consultation improve on the current health care in Shropshire. We feel option C1, which will be option one in the public consultation, which is the emergency centre and women and children's unit at Shrewsbury and planned care in Telford, will give the communities of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Powys the best service we can provide."
The documents are due to be submitted to NHS England today.
If they are validated within two weeks then the consultation will begin in December, and will last for 14 weeks.
The consultation had initially been planned to last for 12 weeks but it was agreed to extend it by two weeks if it takes place over the Christmas period.
The process has faced considerable delay with disagreement over the proposals and the threat of a legal challenge from Telford & Wrekin Council, leading to a review of the plans.
The authority has been unhappy at the prospect of Princess Royal Hospital losing its A&E and consultant led women and children's unit under the changes.
