Future Fit: Calls for additional community health services in Bishop's Castle
An expansion of community health services in south Shropshire needs to be considered alongside the plans to shake-up hospital services in the county, it has been stressed.
Bishop's Castle Medical Practice has about 5,200 registered patients and its patients' group has drawn up a response to the Future Fit proposals.
The group says patients in that area make greater use of 'planned care' services rather than A&E services.
It claims moving planned care to Telford's Princess Royal Hospital – 34 miles from Bishop's Castle – will make access more difficult for those without their own transport as there is just one bus service a week.
This emphasises the need for a "reconfigured community service with beds" that has direct GP access to the hospital, the group says.
Members are calling for Bishop’s Castle Community Hospital to continue as a place for ‘step down’ care when patients are not yet ready to return home.
The patients’ group also says it sees a case for the local medical practice accident and injury services to be expanded, which could help reduce demand on the proposed new urgent care centres.
Jan Arriens, Bishop’s Castle Patients’ Group's steering committee chair, said: “In terms of the big picture, we can see the case for the preferred option of emergency care in Shrewsbury and planned care in Telford, as it would mean the more efficient use of NHS resources and ultimately a higher standard of care, from which patients would stand to benefit.
“However, it would be considerably more difficult for patients if planned care were to move to Telford, although retaining emergency care in Shrewsbury could mean quicker access to life-saving treatment.
"In either case, we see a need for the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s contract with the West Midlands Ambulance Service to be thoroughly overhauled.
"Part of this would involve reinstatement of an effective community first responder service.”
The patients' group would like to hear people's views on the Future Fit options before it finalises its response on August 2.
People are asked to leave a note in the post box at Bishop's Castle Medical Practice or email jarriens@globalnet.co.uk by Tuesday next week.
The public consultation on the Future Fit plans has reached the half way stage.
It features two options and is asking for feedback on how they will affect people.
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 PRH 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.
People can leave feedback by filling out a survey at nhsfuturefit.org
View the patients' group's full response to the proposals at bcpg.org.uk
Copies are available from the Bishop’s Castle doctors’ surgery and Bishop’s Castle pharmacy.
