NHS Transformation plan publication welcomed by council

Telford and Wrekin Council leader has welcomed hearing that the NHS is set to shortly publish its draft Strategic Transformation Plan (STP).

The STP lays out the NHS’s plans for all elements of NHS healthcare across Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire, including plans for hospital services and community services.

It outlines how the NHS plans to transform and make financially sustainable all health services in Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire.

Leader Cllr Shaun Davies has been publicly urging the NHS to make the draft STP public, because he believes it is key that future plans across the whole of the local health economy are made as transparent as possible.

At the meeting of the STP board last week, there was widespread support for the publication of the draft STP. The Board is made up of chief officers from a number of local health organisations and councils.

This is particularly important given the Future Fit review into hospital services which is currently taking place. This threatens to close the PRH’s Women & Children’s Unit and A&E and move these services to Shrewsbury.

The Council has stressed however that it has not endorsed nor approved the STP document which Cllr Davies wanted to be made public as part of the debate around the future of hospital services.

Telford & Wrekin has responded to the draft STP saying that it “lacks confidence in the STP’s financial projections and the reliability of the rationale for future cost reductions.”

It also supports proposals to secure more resources to Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and stresses that there needs to be significantly more resources put into prevention and reconfiguration of community and primary care services, rather than these being concentrated on reconfiguration of hospital services.

Cllr Davies said: “It is impossible to go through the whole Future Fit process without also knowing the plans for GP services and local community care, as these can play a crucial role in reducing demand on hospital services.

“Community care is about helping people keep healthy for longer and reducing the pressure on GP and hospital services. This clearly has an impact on demand for the services that we are fighting to keep in our borough.

“This Council has been saying all along with Future Fit - we want transparency, and the opportunity to have all the relevant information.

“While we haven’t approved or endorsed the STP, I welcome the commitment made to its publication.”

A date for the publication of the STP has not yet been shared but it is expected soon.