Hospital trust boss says no plans to shut Telford A&E – as board told short-term suspensions are 'highly likely'

Ben Reid, chair of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), told a meeting of its board yesterday that there are no imminent plans to close the emergency department at Princess Royal Hospital overnight.

Board members were also told about continuing staff challenges and that short-term suspensions of A&E at PRH were 'highly likely'.

There was a similar threat hanging over the emergency centre in Telford last year, however it was halted at the eleventh hour.

Dr David Lee, chair of the quality and safety committee, told board members: "The emergency department is still highly vulnerable to short-term closures due to the difficulties in identifying and retaining middle grade doctors."

CT scanner

He said the committee was also disappointed that there was not yet an additional CT scanner at PRH, which currently relies on an ageing piece of equipment.

The CT scanner was last year raised as one of the key issues surrounding the decision taken by health bosses to close Telford's A&E overnight, which was called off in November.

A report to the board yesterday said: "The Q&S Committee previously advised the trust board of its concerns with respect to the reliance on an ageing CT scanner as a single point of failure within the stroke pathway (Q&S board report July 2018).

"Following discussions later in 2018, the committee set an expectation (see board report November 2018) that action would be taken.

"It is, therefore, a matter of both concern and regret that an additional CT scanner is not yet functioning on the PRH site."

Staff shortages were blamed last year when health bosses voted in favour of a temporary overnight closure of the emergency department.

But last November SaTH announced enough staff had committed to rotas, so the closure would not have to go ahead.

Mr Reid yesterday stressed the trust had no plans at the moment to implement a new overnight closure of A&E, and no proposal had been brought to the board.

He said: "We are going to do absolutely everything to make sure we don't.

"Today I can give you an assurance we haven't had a discussion about that being an option."

He said the trust had been working hard on the issue of recruitment and staff were joining the hospitals.

Paula Clark, SaTH's new chief executive, said the trust was keeping an eye on staffing levels and demand.

She said: "An awful lot of work has been going on with the operational team to make sure if there is a risk, can we cover it.

"We have been very active to make sure we have been able to get doctors in."

Recruitment

Nigel Lee, chief operating officer, told the board that international doctors who had been offered jobs were still planning to come to the trust, and some had already arrived.

Dr Edwin Borman, director of clinical effectiveness, added: "We are in a better place than we were last year.

"Nonetheless there are particular times when doctors are ill.

"It means our rotas are under considerable pressure."

Julia Clarke, director of corporate governance, said work had also taken place to renovate houses within the grounds of PRH to help with recruitment efforts.

She said they are to be offered free to junior doctors for the first six months of their placement.

Mrs Clarke said the trust was also in discussions regarding a housing development taking place near PRH with a view to trying to negotiate special rates for NHS staff.

She added: "We are doing all we can, not only to recruit but to retain."