Tory leader accuses heath bosses over Future Fit 'third option' statement
The leader of Telford & Wrekin's Conservative group has accused health bosses of lying about investigating a potential model for Shropshire's two acute hospitals.
In a joint statement, Future Fit bosses David Evans and Simon Freeman said they had looked at similar hospital models, and that they were not viable for Shropshire.
But at a Telford & Wrekin full council meeting on Thursday, Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Eade challenged the statement and denied it ever took place.
The Tory leader said: "With regard to Future Fit, I will make just one comment.
"I will repeat a quote apparently made by Mr Freeman and Mr Evans – 'We have looked in detail at the Northumbria model and concluded that it is not feasible to replicate in Shropshire' – no they have not."
Councillor Eade added: "That is not true as they have not looked at this third option in detail whatsoever.
"Both myself and a previous CEO of the Princess Royal Hospital, David Sandbach, have pored over their website to no avail.
"I issue this public challenge to them now. Meet with us, show us your detailed work and conclusions, let us see your business case and if you have one, we can put this matter to bed.
"If not, stop trying to hoodwink our community, they are not that gullible."
The health bosses released the statement in reaction to Councillor Eade's plan to forward a motion of no confidence in SaTH and Future Fit.
Under the Future Fit plans, there will be a single emergency centre in the county based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or Telford's Princess Royal Hospital.
The alternative site would deal with planned care and people have been allowed to have their say in a public consultation.
Visit nhsfuturefit.org for more details on the Future Fit plans.
