Future Fit consultation: 14 weeks to shape future of Shropshire hospitals
Shropshire people will have 14 weeks to help shape the future of emergency health care in the county when the public consultation into controversial Future Fit proposals launches on May 30, it was revealed today.
The Future Fit process will decide where a single emergency centre for the county will be based.
The "preferred option" is for the centre to be based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
It would be supported by two urgent care centres, based at RSH and at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital.
The public consultation, which has been extended from its expected run of 12 weeks, will feature two options.
The first is the preferred option based at RSH, with PRH taking 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.
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Health bosses say the consultant-led women and children's services would have to be on the same site as the emergency department.
However, a range of women and children's services would still be available on the other site, including a midwife-led unit.
Health bosses hope a shake-up of hospital services in the county will make them sustainable for the future.
Many ways to have a say on Future Fit proposals
Meetings, drop-in events and a survey will allow people the chance to have a say during the Future Fit public consultation.
The activities have been arranged to get views on plans to help shape the future of hospital services in the county.
Consultation on the proposals is expected to start on May 30 and run for 14 weeks.
Health commissioners will need to approve the launch date, which has been recommended by the Future Fit programme board, next week.
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin clinical commissioning groups will also be asked to approve minor amendments to the consultation documents during meetings of their governance boards.
Telford & Wrekin CCG’s governing body will meet on Tuesday and Shropshire CCG’s governing body will hold a meeting a day later.
When public consultation launches, people will be able to visit stalls containing information and speak directly to clinicians.
Health bosses said there would be a series of meetings and drop-in events.
Arrangements are currently being finalised but it will gather feedback from people across Shropshire and Powys.
A survey has also been drawn up which people can complete and return to a free post address or fill out online at nhsfuturefit.org
People will be asked to what extent they agree the two options will meet their needs or the needs of the people they care for.
It will ask if there are any other factors that are important which haven’t been taken into account.
Doctors based at the county’s two main 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.
In March, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced the Future Fit process had been allocated capital investment of up to £312 million so the plans can progress to the next stage.
The draft consultation documents are available online at nhsfuturefit.org
