Health Secretary 'unequivocal in his support' over Future Fit, says Shrewsbury MP
A Shropshire MP has met with Health Secretary Matt Hancock in a bid to 'end the deadlock' over the proposed £312 million shake-up of hospital services in the county.
Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, said Mr Hancock had told him the Government was committed to delivering the Future Fit scheme, which would see the redevelopment of hospitals in both Shrewsbury and Telford.
The controversial scheme, which would see the county's 24-hour A & E services based solely at Shrewsbury has been met with fierce opposition from Telford & Wrekin Council.
But likening the dispute to Brexit, Mr Kawczynski said it was now time for the county to come together and get on with delivering the best possible health care for everybody.
"The secretary of state was unequivocal in his support," said Mr Kawczynski.
He said work could have started on the scheme were it not for the opposition from Telford & Wrekin Council.
Telford MP Lucy Allan has also started an online crowd-funding campaign with a view to mounting a legal challenge against the Future Fit proposals.
But he said the proposals had been vigorously tested and it was now time to end the delay.
"These proposals have had all the 'i's dotted and the 't's crossed to the nth degree, ad nauseum," he said. "It's been a six-and-a-half-year process, it's been driven by clinicians, and it is as watertight as you can get.
"It's a little bit like Brexit in that we have had a long-running battle, but the time has come for us to come together as a county and go forward with a scheme which will benefit the whole of Shropshire."
Mr Kawczynski has also tabled 10 written questions to Mr Hancock, which he hopes to get replies to in the new year.
His questions include ones about the impact delays to the scheme have had on patient safety, the number of new nurses planned for the county over the next three years, and his views on Telford & Wrekin Council's involvement in the process.
His questions in full are:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of conduct of Telford Council in relation to the Future Fit process.
To ask the Secretary of State what steps he is taking to support the 300 local clinicians in Shropshire to conclude the Future Fit process.
To ask the Secretary of State what estimate he has made of the cost of the Future Fit process in Shropshire.
To ask the Secretary of State what estimate he has made of the length of time taken by opponents of the Future Fit process for judicial review as at January 1, 2020.
To ask the Secretary of State what estimate he has made of the length of time taken for discussions on the reconfiguration of A&E departments in Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.
To ask the Secretary of State what assessment he has made of the effect on patient safety of the delays to the Future Fit process instigated by Telford Council.
To ask the Secretary of State how many new nurses will be employed at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
To ask the Secretary of State whay the budget for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has been in (a) 2005, (b) 2010, (c) 2015 and (d) 2018.
To ask the Secretary of State how many chief executives have (a) resigned, (b) retired early and (c) been sacked from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust since 2000.
To ask the Secretary of State what the time frame is for the appointment of the new chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.
