Jeremy Corbyn criticised for Future Fit remarks by Shropshire MP

Mr Corbyn said that accident and emergency waiting times have reached their worst level ever recorded and a single A&E department will not meet the needs of people in the county.

He claimed sustained under-funding by the Tory government has had "terrible impacts" on the NHS and that closing services would put lives at risk.

But Wrekin's MP Mark Pritchard said Mr Corbyn should be more gracious.

He added: “It is a great shame Jeremy Corbyn and some local Labour politicians are criticising the local hospitals who do such a wonderful job.

"With the biggest investment in the NHS in Shropshire in its history, of £312 million, you would think Mr Corbyn would be more gracious.

"The Conservatives are now outspending Labour on the NHS."

Up to £312 million in funding has been promised for the Future Fit scheme, which will decide where hospital services are based in the county.

Mr Pritchard's comments came as the Labour leader visited Protolabs in Telford, where he said both Shropshire's A&E departments have struggled due to a lack of trained staff.

Future Fit heads to Bridgnorth

Meanwhile another public exhibition on the plans is being staged at Bridgnorth Leisure Centre tonight.

People can talk to clinicians about the proposals, and fill out a survey to leave feedback, between 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

The Future Fit public consultation, which features two options, will run until midnight on September 4.

The preferred option, which has been signed off by Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups, is for Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to house the county’s only emergency centre and for Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital to take on responsibility for planned care.

Under the plans, the alternative option would see the emergency centre based at PRH.

In that scenario RSH would become a planned care site.

It would be supported by an urgent care centre at each hospital.

Staff shortages

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs the hospitals, says it is still struggling with staff shortages.

Health bosses say Future Fit will encourage staff to join the trust.

They say they are having to continue to look at contingency plans in case A&E at PRH has to temporarily close overnight on safety grounds.

Bosses say business plans have been under constant review to ensure that, should it happen, there is as little impact as possible on patients.

They have stressed that no decision has yet been made to suspend services.

However, the leader of Telford & Wrekin Council Shaun Davies says he fears the plans are being stepped up and could happen from September.