Support to Shropshire NHS trust welcomed by Telford & Wrekin Council

From September the leading teaching hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), will provide targeted support to improve services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital.

UHB is rated outstanding for leadership by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Telford & Wrekin Council's lead for health and social care said the alliance has been "long called for".

Councillor Andy Burford added: "I welcome this new alliance. It is important that SaTH takes full advantage of the expertise to be offered by UHB for the ultimate benefit of their patients here in Telford & Wrekin, as well as the rest of Shropshire and Mid Wales.

“It must begin with getting the basics right and must lead to the best possible healthcare, which is what SaTH’s patients deserve.

“Although UHB will be offering its expertise, it is important that SaTH does retain its independence and accountability to the public and keeps its local services. It mustn’t be allowed to become an extension of Birmingham.

“We will be monitoring performance and I look forward to seeing significant improvements as a result of this alliance.”

SaTH’s chairman, Ben Reid is stepping down and is being replaced by Dr Catriona McMahon who has been a non-executive director and senior independent director at UHB since 2014.

Councillor Shaun Davies, Telford & Wrekin Council leader, added: “We should use this as an opportunity to pause and review the Future Fit reconfiguration of hospital services which would see a downgrade of Telford’s Accident and Emergency Centre as it currently stands and the moving of the consultant-led Women & Children’s Centre to Shrewsbury.

“We should look to use the investment, in the form of a government loan, to get high quality care in both of SaTH’s hospitals, in Telford and Shrewsbury. It is also important to invest in high quality community care to help prevent hospital admissions in the first place; something not addressed in the Future Fit plans.

“Dr McMahon’s appointment as chairman of SaTH makes her the third chairman in less than four years. I’ll be asking for an urgent meeting with her and look forward to working with her.

“Staff, patients and our community deserve the best possible healthcare and that’s what everyone should work for. That’s what we want.”