Future Fit : Shropshire hospitals boss remains 'optimistic' over funding
The boss of Shropshire's two main hospitals says he is staying optimistic that the Future Fit process will secure funding – and revealed it is now among the top six cases being considered by NHS chiefs.
A future shake-up of hospital services in the county lies in the hands of NHS England.
But Simon Wright, chief executive of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, says the wait may not be too much longer.
NHS England needs to decide whether a long-awaited public consultation can be launched, but wants to know that the funding is available for any proposed changes.
The Future Fit proposals could cost in the region of £300 million to bring to fruition.
Mr Wright says he believes the funding will be approved to take the scheme forward and allow the public to have a say on the plans.
He said: "I think if they were going to say no we would have heard that by now.
"I don't think that's a serious risk. I'm fully expecting to hear a positive answer.
"At this point we have to go forward with the plan as we've described it.
"I think we have to stand together, hold that line and I'm sure we will get that decision."
He said he has shared in the frustration at how long the process has taken so far, but added: "We are in the top six cases now that are being considered.
"We are in that final stage. We just have to hold our nerve.
"I think we have lots of reasons to be optimistic. I'm confident we will hear things in the next few weeks."
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin clinical commissioning groups have signed off a preferred option for the future of the county's hospital services.
The preferred option involves a single A&E unit at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, while planned services would be centred at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.
It also involves moving the consultant-led women and children’s unit to Shrewsbury, although Telford would retain a midwife-led unit.
Both hospitals would have an urgent care centre.
The second option would be for PRH to house Shropshire's emergency department and for RSH to become the planned care site.
Health bosses have said that consultant-led women and children's services would have to be on the same site as the emergency department.
Doctors based at the hospitals have previously said that “doing nothing is not an option” and that services need to be changed to make the hospitals sustainable for the future.
