Future Fit: Friction between MP and Council Leader ahead of crucial meeting
Shrewsbury and Telford political opponents have publicly stated their case in a war of words ahead of this evening's Future Fit meeting.
The boards of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin CCGs will meet this evening to approve a recommendation from the Future Fit Board for health service changes in Shropshire.
The recommendation is the result of three years of work by the Future Fit Programme Board.
If representatives from Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin CCGs agree with the recommendations a public consultation will begin in January.
The preferred option proposes a single Emergency and Trauma Department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and an Emergency Care Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. The Future Fit Programme Board also recommended making the Princess Royal Hospital a centre for planned surgery and moving Women and Children's Services to Shrewsbury.
The meeting takes place at 6.30pm this evening at the Telford International Centre, St Quentin Gate, Telford. It is open to the public to observe the decision-making process and at the discretion of the chair, ask questions after the board discussion.
Meanwhile both Shrewsbury and Telford political opponents have publicly stated their case in a war of words.
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has said that local councillors have used bullying tactics towards the future provision of Shropshire Health services, while Shaun Davies has said he will not stand for “silly name calling” and called it an “astonishing attack” from the local MP.
Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham outlined why he believes the current system is not sustainable:
“For too long, our local doctors and nurses have had to try to provide services across two hospitals in the County, often in poor conditions. This is not sustainable and some of our key services are in danger of imminent collapse. Independent reports from the consultancy ICF and the West Midlands Clinical Senate have clearly laid out why change is needed now. Those who oppose these changes do not seem to realise that remaining as we are, risks a catastrophic failure of one of our key services.”
He asked for unity but for the board to stand up to the bullying tactics of some local councillors, adding:
“Today is a day for unity, bravery and clarity. I urge our local CCG boards to work together to make a decision for the benefit of the whole of our local population. I wish them courage to stand up to the bullying tactics of some local councillors who either do not understand or care how precarious our hospital services are. I ask them to provide clarity for our local population and our doctors and nurses so that we may together begin the work of enveloping new services for our children and grandchildren. This is not about one town winning or losing; this is about building a modern, safe system for the next generation.”
But, Labour Councillor and Telford and Wrekin Council Leader Shaun Davies responded that he would never apologise for sticking up for his Community and the Health Services they demand and need and called Mr Kawczynski's statement an attack.
Cllr Davies, who will attend the joint CCG meeting this evening in Telford, said:
“We will never apologise for sticking up for our Community and the quality, well-funded Health Services they demand and need. We’ve made it quite clear that Health Services across Shropshire need better funding from Government, and we have set out our strategy for arguing this case by using every power at our disposal including getting calling for a judicial review if necessary."
He thinks the Shrewsbury MP should make a similar stand, stating:
“It is a shame that the MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham, rather than do similar and use his position to get the ear of the Government to make this same case, has chosen instead to continue his campaign of mudslinging at Telford and Wrekin.
“This is a waste of time and energy on his part when he would be better advised to hold the decision makers to account for this flawed process which has been described as ‘ill thought through’ by regional NHS and which has cost £millions of pounds of taxpayers money yet be no nearer a satisfactory conclusion.”
Mr Davies concluded: "He will not deter us from campaigning and arguing the case in a robust way using the facts and evidence available to us all. Our cross party, co-ordinated campaign will not yield in the face of silly name calling.”
A campaign group setup to stop any hospital A&E closures in the county is urging people to attend the board.
The campaign group ‘Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Defend Our NHS’ which is against cuts and privatisation said:
“We need the largest possible public attendance. The meeting takes us decisively closer to the loss of one of our A&Es. Health bosses want to slash spending on local NHS services by around £150 million every single year. Part of the cuts and closure plan is Future Fit: the closure of one of our A&Es and the downgrading of one of our acute hospitals to a ‘Planned Care Centre’.
"Currently it seems that Telford’s Princess Royal A&E is more at risk than Shrewsbury – but either way, we’ll all end up with an A&E less than half the capacity of our current A&Es, and longer journeys to access either emergency care or routine planned care. Across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Powys, we all lose out. There are no winners when major NHS cuts are driven through.”
