Warning as decision on Shropshire A&E closure due next week
A decision on a night-time closure of an accident and emergency unit in Shropshire could be made as early as next week – and the move is 'not likely to be short term'.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust's board will meet on Thursday and decide whether to action an overnight closure of the emergency department at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or Telford's Princess Royal Hospital on safety grounds.
Gaps in consultants, middle-grade doctors, the junior doctor workforce and nursing staff have been highlighted as concerns.
Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer for Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said the overriding issue was whether A&E services were safe.
He told a meeting of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Council's joint health overview and scrutiny committee yesterday that, unless staffing challenges can be resolved, whatever action is taken by the trust board "is not likely to be two weeks or short term".
Simon Wright, chief executive of the trust, told the committee that requests had been made to Health Education England for additional staff but these had been turned down.
The meeting was also told health commissioners supported the trust in its requests.
Mr Wright said since funding had been promised for the Future Fit scheme, which will shake-up hospital services in the county, the trust has appointed 19 consultants, including three in A&E.
But he added: "Whilst we are seeing these staff starting to come into the trust what we are not managing to do is see enough of them come through in these areas of concern."
He said if a decision is taken to curtail services in A&E there would be a review point but staffing would have to improve for it to reopen.
But he stressed: "None of us want to see a curtailment of our emergency service."
Councillor Andy Burford, co-chairman of the committee, also said there needed to be significant investment in community health services.
David Evans, chief officer for Telford and Wrekin CCG, said investment is being put into community and primary care services and both CCGs were committed to changing the model of care for patients.
