Acute hospitals’ performance to be examined by scrutiny councillors

A joint councils’ watchdog is to examine concerns of communities and councillors across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin around the quality of healthcare services provided by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

The Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin councils meets on Wednesday 7 August 2024 to rigorously examine SaTH’s performance, a consistent focus for the Committee over a number of years.

This meeting will concentrate on the Care and Quality Commission’s (CQC) report published in May on the area’s two acute hospitals, the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal in Telford, and review the challenges and actions required to improve patient care and outcomes.

Officers from SaTH and Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System are due to answer questions from the committee members at the meeting.

The Committee also want to cover issues and concerns aired in the recent Channel Four Dispatches programme which reported on care provided at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, alongside the committee’s own work and the recent CQC report. This has seen the Trust’s CQC overall rating improve from Inadequate to Requires Improvement

The extended meeting will seek answers for people in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin as to when SaTH’s healthcare services will be assessed by inspectors and rated as good and that the community can have confidence in these services.

Councillor Geoff Elner, Shropshire Council’s JHOSC Co-Chair, said:

“As a Committee we have reached a point where we believe our concerns need action to enable them to be addressed. The inspection reports we have looked at go back over 10 years and show ratings for SaTH that were never higher than ‘requires improvement’. The Committee is determined to pursue improvements to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care across all parts of the Trust. Our communities deserve access to a good standard of health care and we intend to help ensure that the best possible standard of service is delivered.”

Councillor Fiona Doran, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Co-Chair, added:

“Whilst the most recent CQC report was welcome and shows some improvement in SaTHs performance, it is imperative that a clear plan is put in place to further improve patient care and outcomes.

“The recent Dispatches documentary rightly raised concerns and questions across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, so we want to hear how SaTH and the Integrated Care System are going to make the necessary improvements rebuild the confidence of everyone one of us who rely upon them.”

The meeting is held in public and starts at 2pm and will be live streamed.