Shropshire Star comment: Now is not the time to be fatigued
You may think that all the arguments about how and where Shropshire’s future accident and emergency services are delivered have already been exhausted.
But we haven’t even got started yet.
The consultation into the controversial Future Fit proposals now looks as though it will begin on May 30 and there will thereafter be 14 weeks for people to have their say. There are going to be many Salopians who think they have already done just that.
They have spoken up both for and against the central proposals, which under the preferred option would see the county have a single emergency centre, as opposed to the current set up in which there are A&E units at both the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal hospitals.
That single centre would be at the Royal Shrewsbury, and there would be urgent care centres for less critical cases at the RSH and PRH. The issue has proven divisive, and professionals, councils, MPs and various bodies have all expressed their views.
There are various mechanisms by which ordinary Salopians can contribute to the debate in the consultation period, which incidentally is two weeks longer than the expected run of 12 weeks.
Health professionals at the two main hospitals have said that doing nothing is not an option, and that same principle should be taken on-board with the consultation, in that for those who want to shape the future of health care delivery in Shropshire, not seizing the opportunity to take part in the consultation is not an option either.
So this is not the time to suffer from Future Fit fatigue, although the process has been so long-running that it would be understandable if some people did so.
Silence does not make a positive contribution to the debate. Silence could be interpreted as passive acceptance of the preferred proposals on the table, those who do not take part in the consultation may end up with something they don’t want and be afterwards accused of failing to speak up when it really mattered.
Given the history of this matter, it will be a miracle if there is a harmonious consensus, and the arguments are ended. But if this consultation is to have any meaning, it has to have the power to make a difference.
