Telford & Wrekin Council launches “Save Our Hospitals” campaign
Telford & Wrekin Council has launched a Save Our Hospitals campaign to help protect services at the Princess Royal (PRH) in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury (RSH).
The council says that if proposals for changes to services for the two main hospitals are not supported, it would lead to more hospital services leaving the area.
The consultation proposes some key changes to the way hospital services are organised and would see both hospitals gain some key services from the other.
This would ensure there is an equitable balance of services on both sites with both hospitals maintaining full A&E services – Telford & Wrekin Council’s “line in the sand”.
The Council’s political groups are together urging people who use the hospitals to take part in the consultation and for people to be fully aware of what is at stake.
Failure to agree a way forward could mean that changes being imposed on the area without any regard to local people’s view.
It could also follow that the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust would be taken over by another Trust outside the area such as Stafford, Stoke or Wolverhampton and see key services moving away to these centres.
That’s why the Council says it is vital that local people make their views heard, starting with a consultation Question and Answer meeting on February 16 at the Holiday Inn, St Quentin Gate, Telford, at 7pm.
People can also give their views www.ournhsinshropshireandtelford.nhs.uk and need to do so by 14 March.
Council leader Andrew Eade said: “The borough’s voice must be heard in the consultation. A “perfect” solution to the future of hospital services is now almost impossible due to cuts in public spending, but we have to find a way forward, because if we don’t the consequences for Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire would be very serious and imposed on us.”
Cllr Keith Austin, leader of the Labour Group, said: “This consultation is our chance to save services and stop our local hospitals from being taken over by a hospital trust from outside the area.”
Cllr Gill Green, leader of the Independent and Liberal Democrat Group, said: “Both hospitals would gain and lose significant services under these proposals, but each will maintain full A&E cover, which we have always fought for.”
Cllr Vic Tonks, leader of TAWPA, added: “If the consultation comes out against the proposals, we can expect to lose key hospital services to other more specialised hospitals outside this area and fewer services would be provided at the PRH and RSH.”
The proposals to reconfigure services at the area’s two main hospitals – the PRH and RSH include:
• The creation of a women and children’s centre at PRH. Head and Neck services would also relocate to PRH – this is because a high volume of ENT cases are procedures for children.
• The creation of an acute surgery centre at RSH, for acute inpatient vascular surgery, colorectal surgery and upper gastro-intestinal surgery – patients who need access to emergency surgery at PRH would be provided for through a senior non-resident on call team of experienced surgeons. Other acute surgery will be transferred to RSH or dealt with through urgent outpatient and day case on the PRH site.
• Medical patients would as now access services on both sites.
• Both hospitals would continue to offer outpatient services, day case surgery, midwife led maternity, emergency and inpatient orthopaedic surgery and 24-hour A&E
You can keep in touch with the Council’s Save Our Hospitals campaign online at www.telford.gov.uk/saveourhospitals
