Have your say on Future Fit as consultation launches
The future of Shropshire’s hospital services will be placed in the hands of the public tomorrow when a 14-week consultation on Future Fit finally launches.
Details of a series of pop-up style roadshows, public exhibitions and a survey for people to share their views will be revealed.
And a new Future Fit website will launch, giving people access to the consultation documents and dates of upcoming events.
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are asking for views on two options.
The two options
Option 1: The preferred Future Fit option which has been put forward 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. Both the RSH and PRH would also house an urgent care centre which would deal with most walk-in patient cases.
Option 2: The second option would be for Princess Royal Hospital to house Shropshire’s emergency department and for Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to become the planned care site. Again, both hospitals would have an urgent care centre that would be open 24 hours a day. Health bosses say consultant-led women and children’s services would have to be on the same site as the emergency department. However, women and children’s services would still be available on the other site, including a midwife-led unit.
Both involve a single accident and emergency centre for the county, supported by urgent care centres for less serious injuries and illnesses.
Health bosses say having a single emergency care site will mean that specialist doctors can treat the most serious cases in a dedicated emergency department.
They say it is proven to be safer, provide better results for patients and reduce the amount of time people have to stay in hospital.
By having a dedicated planned care site, it is hoped that patients will wait less time for their appointments and beds would be protected for planned operations.
People are being urged to go out and have their say on the proposals. The Shropshire Star will tomorrow outline details of events and exhibitions being organised to allow the public to have their say on the proposals.
Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer for Shropshire CCG, said: “Over the last four-and-a-half years, we’ve listened to what people have told us about the services and care they expect us to offer at the two hospitals in the future.
“We understand people’s frustration at the time it has taken to reach this point. However, we are now urging people to take the opportunity to formally have their say, so that we can consider their views and any changes we may need to make to our proposed plans before making any decisions.”
David Evans, chief officer for Telford & Wrekin CCG, said: “A formal public consultation is the way the NHS has to seek people’s views on significant changes to services.
“Over the next 14 weeks we will be working hard to make sure that people understand the issues we need to solve and the proposed changes we need to hear their views on.
“It’s important that people share with us what the options mean for them and what we need to consider putting in place or changing so that they can receive the best possible care in the future.”
