Medics hear of Future Fit concerns at Whitchurch consultation
Concerns over transport links to the Princess Royal and Royal Shrewsbury hospitals were the topic of debate at the latest Future Fit consultation event.
A steady stream of visitors filed in to Whitchurch Civic Centre yesterday to meet with clinicians, surgeons and other medical staff and voice their opinions on the Future Fit options put forward by Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Option 1 is the preferred Future Fit option which includes siting the county’s emergency department at RSH while planned care would be at the PRH. Both hospitals would also house an urgent care centre which would deal with most walk-in patient cases.
The second option would be for PRH to house Shropshire’s emergency department and for RSH to become the planned care site.
Again, both hospitals would have an urgent care centre that would be open 24 hours a day.
Health bosses say consultant-led women and children’s services would have to be on the same site as the emergency department. However, women and children’s services would still be available on the other site, including a midwife-led unit.
Doors opened at 3.30pm and one of those first in to the main hall was Julie Finch, a retired accounts technician from Whitchurch. She is in favour of emergency care remaining at the PRH in Telford while planned care takes place at the RSH.
"It is all down to transport," she said.
"The bus takes an hour and 20 minutes to get from Whitchurch to Shrewsbury bus station.
"Then you would have to make your connection to the Telford bus and if you miss that there is an hour wait for the next one.
"If you needed emergency treatment you could get to the hospital on a blue light but if you needed to attend an appointment it could be very difficult for anyone who doesn't drive to get to Telford.
"This part of Shropshire has been forgotten about or ignored.
"Every home in Telford was leafleted about the Future Fit consultation exercise and how they could take part, we have had nothing. If I hadn't heard about it on the radio I wouldn't have known it was taking place."
Dr Julie Davies, director of performance and delivery with the CCG, was one of the specialists on hand to meet the public.
She said she was pleased with how the events had been received and had been very encouraged by the number of people taking part.
"The pop up events and the public meetings have gone well," she added. "There are lots of people involved and when you explain the proposal people do understand why the changes will have to be made."
Christine Bebbington, a retired nursery manager from Whitchurch shared concerns about the transport links.
She said: "It is difficult to get to PRH from here for planned care. It is bad enough getting to the RSH but to go on to PRH would be too much.
"If I am honest, I hope they will be able to have everything at Shrewsbury - it serves the Welsh borders as well as all of Shropshire."
Christine and Paul Bolton from Whitchurch said that the lack of direct transport from Whitchurch to Telford had shaped their view.
"We have an expanding population in Whitchurch and there are plans to build 500 more homes," said Christine, "Travel times to PRH and RSH are a concern for many people living in this part of north Shropshire."
Kath Wilson has lived in Whitchurch for more than 50 years and said: "It is ok getting to RSH by bus, it takes time but it is possible, but PRH is not. If you don't drive it causes added stress for people.
"We are a rural county with an elderly population and this needs to be taken in to account. It will be desperate for some people."
