Future Fit: Telford council leader pledges to continue A&E battle
The leader of Telford & Wrekin Council says it will not support the selection of Shrewsbury's hospital as the main base for the county's emergency care.
As part of the Future Fit process to reorganise Shropshire's major hospital services a joint committee has recommended plans to downgrade A&E services at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital in favour of one emergency and trauma department based in Shrewsbury.
Proposals include a new emergency centre and women and children’s services at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, while planned surgery, orthopaedics and specialist centres would be based in Telford.
But a notice of motion has been put forward for Telford & Wrekin's full council meeting next week, where the council's Labour leader Shaun Davies says it will continue to fight for services to remain at the Princess Royal Hospital.
He says the council will continue to support Telford as the preferred option for the emergency centre and specialist women and children's care.
The notice says: "The council is disappointed by the decision of the clinical commissioning groups to select a preferred option – of the emergency centre and women & children’s centre at Shrewsbury to go out to consultation.
"This would see a downgrading of our A&E department at the PRH to an urgent care centre. It would also move the current consultant-led in-patient services available at our ‘state of the art’ women & children’s centre in Telford to Shrewsbury.
"This council opposes the selection of this as the preferred option as it makes no sense to move the women & children’s centre. It was built just three years ago, at a cost of £28m precisely because SATH identified a clinical need for Telford – that clinical need has not changed and will not change in the future.
"The preferred option is also the most costly and could limit further investment in community health services – keeping care closer to home and people out of hospital for as long as possible.
"Furthermore, this option causes the most disruption with over 38,000 more journeys for patients living across Telford & Wrekin, Shropshire and Mid-Powys being affected under the preferred option compared to the alternative.
It adds: "The alternative is siting the emergency centre and Women & Children’s Centre at Telford.
"In the light of this, Telford & Wrekin is clear that its preferred option is both the emergency centre and existing Women & Children’s Centre located at PRH
"With 33,000 residents signed up to PHR4me, this council will keep campaigning and will do everything possible to encourage the residents of Telford and Wrekin to protect services at Telford’s hospital.”
The motion will be seconded by Councillor Richard Overton and will be discussed when the council meets on Thursday, September 21.
