Council leader pledges to take fresh fight for borough’s hospital to the very top
The leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Councillor Shaun Davies, has pledged to take the fight for Telford’s hospital services to the new Prime Minister as it emerges that outline plans to downgrade it have been approved.
The controversial plans will see Telford’s main hospital – the Princess Royal – lose its 24-hour A&E department and become an “A&E Local.”
They will also see consultant-led women and children's services move from Telford to Shrewsbury, while the Telford site will become the centre for planned care.
In a letter to Shrewsbury & Atcham MP, Daniel Kawczyski, current Health Secretary Steve Barclay said that the Strategic Outline Business Case, which sets out the changes to services at Telford and Shrewsbury’s main hospitals, has now been approved by the Joint Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England Investment Committee.
Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Shaun Davies (Labour) said: “We have been saying for a very long time that the plans for hospital reorganisation in Telford and Shrewsbury make no sense whatsoever. This is clearly still the case.
“The plans would see Telford – the largest town in England – without a full Accident & Emergency service in the local hospital. We would be the only town in England to be running an “A&E Local”, a model which has attracted wide spread criticism from medical bodies.
“What’s more, the most recent plans were set to cost over £500m, when only £312m is being made available. So the question is, with costs rising like never before – what other services will need to be scaled back?
“As soon as a new Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health are in post we will be referring the hospital plans to them. It is absolutely vital they take a fresh look at the plans as a matter of urgency.
“A borough the size of Telford, with a growing and ageing population, needs world class facilities not a downgraded A&E local that will be confusing and potentially dangerous for our residents.
“We are on the side of local people and will take every action necessary to fight and challenge the proposed changes.”
Councillor Davies will be writing to MPs for Telford and Wrekin to secure an early meeting with the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Approval of the Strategic Outline Business Case means that more detailed plans can now be submitted to NHS England in an Outline Business Case. If this is approved, a Final Business Case can then be submitted by the hospital trust.
On approval of this Final Business Case plans will be put in place and building work could potentially begin in 2023.
