Shropshire health board to hold first meeting after service shake-up
A board that approved a major shake-up of health services in Shropshire will meet for the first time in its new guise next week.
Future Fit programme board members have joined an Implementation Oversight Group, which will work on the business case and measures to be brought in.
The group will meet for the first time on July 1, Debbie Vogler, associate director of Shropshire and Telford CCGs, told Shropshire and Telford Council’s Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee.
She also revealed the oversight group would be chaired by David Evans, accountable officer for Telford Clinical Commissioning Group. Under Future Fit, the county’s only accident and emergency department would be based at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, with Princess Royal Hospital in Telford becoming a dedicated planned care site. Maternity services would also be based in Shrewsbury.
Ms Vogler said: “The joint committee of the two CCGs met on January 29 and approved a series of recommendations for the reconfiguration of acute hospital services.
“The Future Fit Programme Board was established in 2014 and now the programme is moving into implementation phase, the governance arrangements will need to change.
“The CCGs have led the consultation and decision-making phase of the programme and now it is the acute trust, SaTH, who will lead on the implementation phase.
Assurance
“The programme board therefore needs to transition into an Implementation Oversight Group to support the oversight of the acute trust’s development of the outline business case and the full business case over the next five years.
“It will also provide assurance that the development and implementation is in line with what has been approved in the decision-making business case of the two CCGs.
“These terms of reference for the IOG set out the revised process by which Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin sponsors and stakeholders will oversee this implementation phase and ensure that any recommendations set out by the CCG joint committee are delivered.
“The board will meet up for the first time on July 1 and will be chaired by David Evans, accountable officer for Telford & Wrekin CCG.” Since plans were agreed, chief executive of SaTH Simon Wright has announced his departure from the trust.
He will leave on July 1. He will be replaced by interim Paula Clarke on an interim basis.
