Hospitals must improve, say Shropshire MPs
Shropshire's MPs today called on hospital bosses to take immediate and urgent action to deal with issues raised in a critical report by the Care Quality Commission.
Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission have issued an 'urgent enforcement notice' on Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust last week, imposing conditions on how it is managed.
Concerns include 'environmental safety' in A&E, especially at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, and systems to deal with patients who may present with sepsis or other deteriorating medical conditions in the emergency departments.
The CQC has threatened to intervene to ensure services improve.
Lucy Allan, MP for Telford, said she would be seeking a meeting with Health Secretary Matt Hancock to discuss the matters raised by the inspection.
“I am very concerned about the CQC’s decision to take enforcement action against Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and I am seeking a meeting with Heath Secretary to discuss this further,” she said.
Her colleague in the neighbouring The Wrekin constituency, Mark Pritchard, said the public would expect the problems identified with the trust to be resolved very quickly.
"The senior management team now have a short timetable to sort these issues out," he said.
"Otherwise the public might demand new senior managers are brought in to run the trust on a permanent basis.
"Action, not excuses, are now needed."
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Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, a former health minister, said it was a very challenging time for the trust, and highlighted the importance of delivering the reforms outlined in the Future Fit plan.
"Clearly patient safety is paramount, and I know the trust has been concerned for a long time about staffing levels at A&E," he said.
Confidence
"This is why resolving the configuration at A&E is so critical, Future Fit needs to be supported."
Shrewsbury & Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski said he had total confidence in trust chief executive Simon Wright to address the issues highlighted by the inspectors.
"He is the best chief executive I have seen, certainly in my 13 years as the MP," he said.
"He was instrumental in helping us secure the £312 million for Future Fit.
"I believe the chief executive will be working very strenuously with the CQC to see that any changes recommended will be implemented fully."
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Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies, whose constituency is served by Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, said he was hoping to speak to the senior management at the trust about the situation.
"I simply want to know what there is that is causing the problems," he said.
Mr Davies said he was aware that the hospitals had suffered from a shortage of senior clinicians, and believed that the proposed Future Fit reorganisation was considered important to addressing those concerns.
