Future Fit: Telford council leader pledges to demand fresh Government review of hospital plans
Hospital plans for Shropshire will be referred to the new Prime Minister according to the leader of Telford & Wrekin Council.
The authority has opposed the Future Fit proposals for both Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, saying Telford will lose out as a result of the changes.
Details of the plans approved by the Government and the NHS have now been revealed – along with the fact that county health bosses' preferred option would cost £222 million more than they have.
Councillor Shaun Davies, Labour leader of Telford & Wrekin Council said they would be again asking the Government to review the plans.
He said: "I will be reading between the lines of the Strategic Outline Case to look for what it doesn’t say, as much as what it does, and I suggest others do the same.
“The reality for people in Telford and Wrekin is that these plans will see the Princess Royal lose its 24 hour A&E and emergency care for mothers and children in a specialist unit that was built just eight years ago.
“Our current A&E will be turned from a supermarket to a corner shop, an 'A&E Local', a first for the country and a model that medical experts have openly criticised.
“As the largest town in England with a population which is ageing and one of the fastest growing in the country, this does not make sense. In fact, Telford and Wrekin’s population is growing twice as fast as Shropshire’s."
Councillor Davies added: "Let’s also not forget that two in three of the 18,742 people who officially responded to public consultation on Future Fit plans disagreed with moving emergency care to Shrewsbury.
“The original plans submitted for approval amounted to some £500 million and with the Government agreeing to fund £312 million, what other services will be scaled back to close the gap?
“Telford & Wrekin Council will unapologetically continue to fight against plans that are not right for people in our borough.
“We will refer the plans to the new Prime Minister and Health Secretary and invite our MPs to work with us to secure the investment we need to get the best possible health and social care for people across Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire.”
