Future Fit: Telford council leader 'will not apologise' over A&E fight after MPs launch attack
Telford & Wrekin Council's leader has said he will not apologise for fighting to keep services at its local hospital.
Councillor Shaun Davies’ comments come after the Labour council was accused by Tory MPs of using “misinformation and fake news” over the reorganisation of the county’s hospital services during a debate at Westminster Hall yesterday.
Councillor Davies said that everything he had said would be proven to be true once the Future Fit consultation begins.
“It is a fact that Future Fit is about to start a major public consultation precisely because they want to make significant changes to current hospital services, that is the very point of the consultation,” he said.
“It is a fact that the preferred option that the local NHS has recently voted on would mean, if implemented, that the current full 24/7 full A&E services would be reduced and it is estimated that 40 per cent of those who use the Princess Royal Hospital’s A&E facilities now would, under this proposal, need to use another hospital.
“Equally it is a fact that while some Women’s & Children’s services would stay at PRH, all the important consultant-led in-patient women and children’s services are proposed to move to the RSH. Future Fit also proposes that the Children’s Assessment Unit moves to RSH. As such the Women & Children’s unit opened three years ago at PRH at a cost of £28m would be very different from what is there now.
“It is a fact that we have explained on a number of occasions to Lucy Allan how Future Fit’s proposals would downgrade key services at PRH.”
Councillor Davies said that as Telford continued to grow, it had a “clinical need” for the women’s & children’s centre.
“It is a fact that Telford continues to grow,” he said.
“It has the clinical need for the Women’s & Children’s Centre instead of building a new one at RSH costing many millions more. PRH offers, we believe, the best and most cost effective solution.
“I make no apology for fighting for the best services possible services for the people who elected me. This council has a right and a duty to speak out on behalf of the people across Telford & Wrekin who we were elected to represent.”
People will see when the NHS consultation begins that everything that this council has said to date about key services being moved from the PRH to Shrewsbury is a fact.”
