Government funding will help to progress hospitals reconfiguration
The Trust that runs Shropshire’s two acute hospitals is to receive £6.3 million pounds of Government funding to move forward with plans to transform hospital services in the county.
Funding for the next stage of the reconfiguration known as 'Future Fit' was confirmed by Health Minister Edward Argar MP and will help to develop plans for the Hospitals Transformation Programme and produce an Outline Business Case.
The money will be used to engage architects, mechanical and electrical engineers and specialists in civil engineering, project management, transport and healthcare planning, to put in place final designs and planning proposals to enable applications to be made for final approval for the work to transform Shropshire’s acute hospitals.
Under the proposed plans emergency care would be based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and pre-planned operations would be carried out at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.
South Shropshire MP Philip Dunne, with fellow Shropshire MPs Daniel Kawczynski and Owen Paterson, had written to Health Ministers asking to cut through the bureaucracy and release the funding.
Mr Dunne said: “I am pleased that Minister Ed Argar MP confirmed drawdown can begin for the significant investment into improving Shropshire’s acute hospitals. I know everyone is very focussed on tackling the COVID pandemic right now, so it is pleasing that the green light from both the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care has now been given to proceed to the Outline Business Case.
"News that this approval is on its way is extremely welcome. It will help ensure that the NHS in Shropshire can pull together once more to modernise our acute care for future generations.”
Louise Barnett, Chief Executive at SaTH, said: “We welcome the announcement from the Department for Health and Social Care that £6m of funding has been approved in principle for the Hospitals Transformation Programme. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners and local MPs as we further develop our plans.”
