Telford council chief calls for more access to consultation over big hospitals shake-up

Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is currently consulting with the public on plans for a major redevelopment of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital – as part of its Future Fit Hospitals Transformation Programme.

A planning application for the work has been submitted to Shropshire Council and a number of consultation events have been held in the Shrewsbury area.

But Telford & Wrekin Council, which is opposed to the plan for the hospitals, has called for consultations to also take place in Telford, while also questioning the provision for transporting patients to the facilities in Shrewsbury.

The issue centres on the planned changes, which will see Shrewsbury becoming home to the county's single full emergency centre, while also taking on consultant-led women and children's services from Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.

PRH in turn becomes a centre for planned care and operations.

Both sites would have urgent care centres.

A transport assessment contained with the planning application highlights some of the issues posed by the lack of public transport available in the county, saying, "the private vehicle is the only realistic means of transport and access to the Royal Shrewsbury hospital, especially in an emergency".

Councillor Shaun Davies, the Labour leader of Telford & Wrekin Council said: "This is a planning application, not a debate about the principles of Future Fit, but there are important details in these planning documents that our residents need to understand and have the opportunity to comment on.

“In particular, people need to know that the expert view of the consultants who prepared the transport assessment is that 'the private vehicle is the only realistic means of transport and access to the Royal Shrewsbury hospital, especially in an emergency'.”

Councillor Davies stressed that almost one in five people in Telford & Wrekin have no access to a private car or van.

He added: “The suggestion that a free bus service connecting the hospitals in Telford and Shrewsbury is a welcome one, but the details of how this will operate are yet to be confirmed. The application highlights the complete lack of alternative public transport options, especially in the evening when many people will want to visit loved ones.

“If you’re lucky enough to have your own car, there is a small increase in car parking spaces proposed – just 107 – despite the current car parks being stretched and the increase in visits that the hospital will need to accommodate.

“The key points of the 74-page travel assessment need to be explained clearly and the current plans for community engagement will not cut it.

“You can’t disregard the views of thousands of people who will be directly impacted by the application submitted.”

Councillor Davies said he had written to Louise Barnett, the chief executive of SaTH, to "ask to see plans for how Telford and Wrekin’s residents will be helped to understand the key points in the planning application and how to register their views as part of the planning process".

Responding to the concerns, SaTH said it would be holding a dedicated transport focus group in the coming months, and that it encouraged people to respond with their thoughts on the planning application.

It also said people could join future focus group events.

In a statement it said: "As we design the detailed patient pathways, we are committed to engaging and working closely with our local communities, patients, and colleagues to ensure we improve the experience for all the communities we serve.

"There will be further opportunities to be involved as we continue our engagement through a wide range of public focus groups in the coming weeks. Interested members of the public can register to join these here: https://www.sath.nhs.uk/about-us/get-involved/public-participation-2/get-involved-with-us-2/htp-focus-groups/. We are also holding a Transport focus group in Autumn, details of which are being confirmed and will be communicated to members of the public.

"The current engagement is for the planning application for the new building at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The plans will be displayed at both Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in the coming days, and we continue to welcome comments from all of the communities we serve.

"Transportation to both Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital is part of our ongoing engagement with communities across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid-Wales separately to this planning application. We want to work with key stakeholders, including our communities and local authorities, to improve transport services across the entire area to both sites."