Revealed: Future Fit public consultation set to start next month

The public consultation which will help shape the future of hospital services in the county will run for 12 weeks and will allow people to attend meetings and drop-in events.

People will be able to visit stalls containing information and speak directly to clinicians from the third week of May.

The arrangements are currently being finalised but it will gather feedback from people across Shropshire and Powys.

Dr Julian Povey, chairman of Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said it looks likely that the public consultation, which puts forward two options, will now launch in the third week of May.

The preferred Future Fit option, signed off by Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin clinical commissioning groups, includes siting the county's emergency department at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Under that model, Telford's Princess Royal Hospital would take on responsibility for providing planned care.

The second option would be for PRH to house Shropshire's emergency department and for RSH to become the planned care site.

Watch: Future Fit explained:

Dr Povey said: "There is a preferred option but there's option two as well which is also financially affordable and clinically justifiable.

"We are asking for their comments and concerns about our plans and whether there is any impact, and if there are any models which have been missed.

"We've gone from about 40 different options and whittled them down.

"It's very positive. It sends a strong signal that we are moving forward.

"It may take four to five years from now at least before it's all finished."

Health bosses previously said that building work to transform hospital services in the county could begin as early as next year.

The Government has confirmed more than £300 million of investment for the plans.

The proposals also involve both PRH and RSH having an urgent care centre.

Consultant-led women and children's services would be on the same site as the emergency department, but there would be a range of women and children's services available on the other site.

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.

Staffing levels at both hospitals also remain an issue and chiefs hope changes will make it easier to recruit and keep staff.

The draft public consultation documents are available to view at nhsfuturefit.org