Council leaders call on Health Secretary over A&E at PRH
Telford & Wrekin Council’s three group leaders have written to the Secretary of State for Health to call on him to make urgent reassurances to guarantee A&E services at the PRH.
The Council unanimously backed a motion that committed to retain a 24-hour A&E service at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford at a meeting of the Full Council last week.
Cllr Kuldip Sahota, leader of the Council and Labour Group leader, Cllr Andrew Eade, Conservative Group leader, and Cllr Bill Tomlinson, Liberal Democrat/ Independent Group leader, have signed a joint letter to Jeremy Hunt after the motion was agreed at the meeting.
The letter to the Health Secretary highlights the reasons it is felt that A&E should be retained at the PRH.
Council leader and leader of the Labour Group, Kuldip Sahota, said: “Keeping 24 hour A&E services at the PRH is our line in the sand that we feel is not negotiable.
“Telford is the population centre in the region and one that is experiencing strong growth, now and in the next 20 years.
“Telford & Wrekin is a national housing growth hotspot with planning permission in place for 13,500 new homes in the borough and the aim to build a total of up to 26,500 homes by 2031.
“This growth isn’t limited to our borough, there is also strong growth in areas that are in the PRH’s catchment area, for example in towns such as Bridgnorth, Albrighton, Market Drayton and Shifnal.
“The Princess Royal Hospital is also a site with the space for development to grow and expand in the future.”
Councillor Andrew Eade, Conservative Group leader, said: “We have very clear and incontestable health needs as the health of Telford & Wrekin is worse than other parts of the region and significantly worse than the national average on many measures.
“Public Health England’s Longer Lives puts Telford and Wrekin near the bottom third of the league of local authorities for tackling preventable deaths, particularly for heart disease, cancer and strokes which require the support of a hospital with a 24 hour A&E.
“The borough has higher levels of deprivation than many of our neighbours which are a proven further contributor to ill health and A&E admissions.”
Councillor Bill Tomlinson, Liberal Democrat/Independent Group lead, said: “Telford & Wrekin is by far the largest urban area and population centre in the region served by SaTH and as such needs its own A&E.
“We are also the region’s business centre and the focus for business growth with a manufacturing base significantly above the national average. These businesses will only continue to consider coming here if they are confident in strong local services such as an acute hospital with 24 hour A&E.
“Proportionately to population too, there are more A&E admissions at the PRH. The NHS own figures show that in 2011/12 there were 256 attendances at A&E per 1,000 people in Telford & Wrekin. The same figure for Shropshire is a third lower (171 per 1,000 people).”
