'Trust in crisis' claim following Telford A&E night closure decision

The decision to close the emergency department at Princess Royal Hospital between 8pm to 8am, for at least six months, was made by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust's board yesterday.

Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies, who accused the board of following a pre-determined decision, said it was a "trust in crisis".

He stressed that SaTH needs an urgent Government-led rescue plan and Health Secretary Matt Hancock needs to show an interest.

He added: "What we need now is a strengthening of the management team at SaTH.

"Simon Wright and his senior team have four to six weeks to sort this out. If they don't they are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem."

Telford's MP Lucy Allan says she is asking for SaTH to be placed in special measures.

She said: "The trust faces an avalanche of challenges and is not coping.

"Closing A&E due to lack of staff is just one indicator of the underlying difficulties."

Meanwhile, Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard says he will today hold an emergency meeting with SaTH's chief executive Simon Wright to discuss the decision.

He said: "I believe much more can be done to try and recruit consultants. The funds are now in place but the doctors are not.

"Something has gone wrong in the recruitment process and it is up to local health bosses to fix it and reverse this decision."

'Bonkers'

David Sandbach, former chief executive of PRH, has also called the decision "wrong".

He said: "If the board thinks it can leave a major industrial town without cover from any emergency department point of view for half the week they have got another thing coming.

"They must be bonkers."

Gill George, chair of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Defend Our NHS, added: "It's an organisation in absolute crisis.

"Closing the A&E will put patients at risk. That's been poorly thought out."

Mr Wright said it was the "hardest decision that we have ever had to make" but that it would safeguard patients in the current circumstances.

One of the issues surrounding the decision to close the A&E was around a CT scanner at PRH.

A report to the board said: "There is a risk associated with accessing appropriate radiology as PRH only has one CT scanner, which is eight years old, and its unreliability and impact on services at periods of down time has justified it being the highest capital risk in the trust.

"There would be significant risk in running our entire emergency department service overnight relying on this one scanner."

Other factors included the location of the trauma unit and provisions for emergency surgery.

'Families should not suffer this stress'

Telford’s council leader Shaun Davies outlines his concerns over A&E

I was born and brought up in Telford.

I continue to live in the town with my family; my wife Elise and my son Owen.

My family and I will be affected by an overnight closure of the A&E department at the Princess Royal Hospital.

We are no different to anyone else; a normal family with obvious worries about our local health services.

I am privileged to be able to speak about our local hospital from personal experiences.

Eighteen months ago my son was born in the midwife-led unit in Telford.

Having an A&E department on the site was a reassurance to us should there have been a complication which, thankfully, there wasn’t.

If the overnight A&E closure takes effect then women having a hospital birth in Telford overnight who require emergency treatment would have to be taken to Wolverhampton for immediate care, then transported back to Telford or Shrewsbury.

I would not want this added stress, not for myself, nor for my family.

Ours was a first class experience of care at Telford before, during and after the birth.

I could not question the dedication, the ability or the passion of our NHS workers.

What I can question and what I do question is the commitment of this government, the commitment of the hospitals’ chief executive and his senior team to make the right decisions for his staff.

I still speak to hospital doctors, nurses, midwives and managers with empathy, having seen at first hand just how busy they are and how very dedicated they are, despite the pressures and financial constraints.

What they need is desperate and urgent help.

We need a rescue plan for our local hospital; one backed by everybody; including politicians from all sides right from the very top.

We need to say that our hospitals need more resources, more doctors, more nurses and we need them now.