Council Leader meets new SaTH Chair to discuss possible overnight A&E closure

Telford & Wrekin Council's leader Shaun Davies has met the new Chair of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust to discuss the threat an overnight closure of A&E at the Princess Royal Hospital.

The meeting, held on Thursday, comes just weeks after it was revealed Telford’s A&E department faced a possible overnight closure following the latest consultant resignation. Unless a replacement is found by 1 March, the department could be forced to close between 8pm and 8am.

During the meeting Council Leader Cllr Shaun Davies and Trust Chair Ben Reid discussed a number of different approaches to try to avoid the closure.

Cllr Davies said: “We discussed ways of improving staff recruitment. On behalf of the Council, I offered to work more closely with the hospital to secure more Government investment in the county’s hospital and health services.

“I questioned the lack of Telford representation on the Trust’s board, which I believed led to a major disconnect with the public. I called for a change in the membership of the Trust Board to better represent Telford and to bring about a change of culture and increase the community’s faith and trust in the running of the hospital.

“I again called for the retention of the Women and Children’s Centre at Telford. It was opened less than four years ago at a cost of £28 million and came to Telford based on proven clinical need; a need which is even greater now.

“This Council has offered to help. We will do all we can to save key services at the Princess Royal Hospital and ensure our residents get the best hospital, health and social care services possible.”

Trust Chair, Ben Reid said: “As a new Chair, it is important that I understand our key stakeholders’ views around the challenges we face.

“The meeting with Cllr Davies was very positive. I understand his desire to ensure that the Telford population receive the best service possible and I assured him that the board of SaTH shared his aspiration and we will work with him to achieve our shared objective.”