Future Fit: Hospital rebuilds may start in 2019
Building work to transform hospital services in Shropshire could begin as early as next year, health bosses have revealed.
The Government has confirmed more than £300 million of investment for the reconfiguration of the county's two main hospitals.
The announcement has cleared the way for NHS England to provide its final, formal approval for the Future Fit public consultation to begin.
Health commissioners expect the consultation to launch in May, although exact details need to be finalised.
It is expected to last at least 12 weeks and will allow people to attend meetings and drop-in events.
Simon Wright, chief executive of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust – which runs Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, says building work is likely to take a few years, adding: "You are looking at probably seeing building work starting in 2019/2020."
He said he was "absolutely delighted" that funding had been approved.
Mr Wright believes the planned shake-up of services will help solve workforce issues and reduce the need to cancel planned operations, due to the proposed separation of emergency and planned care.
He said: "The importance of this for the county cannot be understated.
"I've got no doubt in my mind that we will see consultants wanting to join the trust.
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"The most important thing is the certainty it provides. It makes it easier for us to promote our services to new applicants. It allows us to make sure we have facilities that are fit for the future.
“This has been a long process and there has been a lot said in various quarters, but until now the most important people – our patients, relatives and loved ones – have not had their chance to look at the proposals in detail or to share their views.
“I would, therefore, encourage as many people as possible to get involved in the public consultation to let us know what they think.
"The proposals that are being put forward represent one of the most important periods in local health care in decades.
“The one thing that is clear from our clinicians and other frontline staff, both in emergency care and other specialities, is that doing nothing is not an option. We need to change the way we do things to improve outcomes for our patients, reduce waiting times and cancellations and to become an even more attractive place for people to come and work.
“The recent demand on our services has shown how fragile some of those services are. This can only be addressed by changing the way we do things, and it is vital that those changes must be shaped by the opinions of the public."
