Telford A&E news met with joy from community
News that Telford's A&E will remain open 24-hours-a-day has been welcomed by delighted MPs and community leaders.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (Sath) has announced that it has secured the middle grade doctors and nurses needed to put a halt on plans to close the emergency department at Princess Royal Hospital overnight.
Dr Kathy McLean, executive medical director and chief operating officer at NHS Improvement, said the development had been possible due to a 'lot of hard work from the trust and collaboration across the system'.
She added: “I hope this will send a reassuring message to the local community that the trust has a grip on its challenges and is heading in the right direction.
"We will continue to work closely with them to ensure this continues.”
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Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies said he was 'absolutely delighted'.
He said: "Our community has really come out to support our NHS. 3,000 people attended the march and thousands signed the petition.
"But the real battle goes on with Future Fit."
He said he will continue to fight the Future Fit plans, which would see a single emergency centre for the county in either Telford or Shrewsbury.
Telford MP Lucy Allan said she was 'hugely relieved' that A&E at Princess Royal Hospital will remain open 24-hours-a-day.
Chaos
She said: "I am extremely grateful to the Health Secretary Matthew Hancock for his help in ensuring health bodies got involved in resolving the staff shortage.
“If Sath management had taken appropriate action to secure staff, then the recent chaos and uncertainty would have been avoided.
"It is incredible that they did not put in place many obvious measures to secure staff, but instead threw in the towel and threatened closure.
"This was wholly unnecessary. It should not have taken the combined efforts of MPs and councillors to help them find what were obvious solutions.
"This is no way to run any organisation and certainly not a hospital, upon which the most vulnerable members of our community are dependent."
Ludlow MP and former health minister Philip Dunne said it was 'excellent news'.
He added: "At my visit two weeks ago I met staff, who I know will welcome the stability provided from recruitment of three experienced A&E consultants, nine middle grade doctors and 15 new nurses."
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard said it was a 'huge victory for common sense'.
Consultant Kevin Eardley, Sath's medical director for unscheduled care, said: “It is great news that we have been successful in securing more doctors to keep both of our A&E departments open 24/7 and therefore prevent the need to inconvenience patients and relatives by diverting them to alternative providers. I hope this to be a springboard to further recruitment and building a more sustainable future.”
Ben Reid, chair of the trust, said: “This is an outstanding result which few thought was possible. It’s a real tribute to Simon, to the leadership team and especially to the staff already working in emergency departments who’ve done so much to keep the service running for the people of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.
“It really goes to show what can be achieved when local people rally round alongside national bodies and pull in the same direction. When that happens, this hospital trust is far greater than the sum of its parts.”
