Uncertainty over Future Fit public consultation launch

The process will decide where a single emergency centre for the county will be based.

The Future Fit programme board has recommended that a 14-week public consultation should start on May 30.

Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups' (CCG) governance boards must ratify the recommendation by Friday in order for this to happen.

But some members of Telford & Wrekin CCG's governing body yesterday said that the consultation documents did not explicitly set out the issues surrounding the options in the proposals to shake-up the county's hospital services.

Chief officer David Evans said the issues had been "woven" through the documents but several members of the governing body called for them to be clearly set out in a list.

Charwoman, Dr Jo Leahy, said updated documents will be sent out to members of the board who will then meet, or put forward their views by phone or email, on Friday.

The board will then have to agree whether the documents are acceptable to launch a public consultation on May 30.

If they cannot reach a decision on Friday, the public consultation will be delayed.

Speaking about the public consultation, Mr Evans said: "We want this to reach as much of the population as it possibly can.

"This is not about a vote. It's about hearing what members of the public think about the proposals and how they will impact on themselves and their families and friends."

Shropshire CCG's governance board is also expected to decide today whether the public consultation should launch at the end of the month.

Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer for Shropshire CCG, said he was optimistic that its governing body would back the proposal, adding: "It gives us the opportunity to address some of the challenges in the health economy around split site working, the ability to recruit professional staff, the ability to improve patient outcomes."

The public consultation will include two options.

The preferred Future Fit option, which has been signed off by both CCGs, is for the county's emergency centre to be based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) to take on responsibility for planned care.

It would be supported by two urgent care centres, based at RSH and PRH.

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

Health bosses say the consultant-led women and children’s services would have to be on the same site as the emergency department.

But 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.

Meetings, drop-in events, public exhibitions and a survey are some ways people will have chance to have a say.