When I speak to people across Montgomeryshire, health is the number one priority. With significant decisions being made across the border in Shropshire, I thought that it would be timely to provide an update on healthcare issues.
Residents' Health Survey
I am also asking residents for their views on healthcare services in Montgomeryshire. It is important that the voices of residents in Montgomeryshire are heard loud and clear as decisions are being made which will radically transform the provision of NHS services in the area. I therefore hope that as many people as possible will complete my residents’ health survey and please forward this update to your friends and family.
The survey can be completed by visiting my website – www.russellgeorge.com/health - or if you would like a paper copy, please contact my office, details below.
The Future of NHS services in Shropshire
Many residents in the east of Montgomeryshire, in particular, rely on health services provided across the border by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
The "NHS Future Fit" Programme Board has overall responsibility for assessing the affordability and viability of a range of scenarios for the future provision of NHS services in Shropshire and Mid Wales. More information on NHS Future Fit can be found here: http://nhsfuturefit.org/
Over the last year, NHS Future Fit has been assessing a range of scenarios for changing emergency, planned and urgent care within Shropshire and Mid Wales to confront clinical challenges which currently face the NHS. It is clear that reform is necessary and inevitable but there is still deep concern over the reconfiguration of services. It is therefore essential that politicians, community groups and the wider public in Mid Wales unite and are fully involved in the debate which is currently taking place over the future makeup of healthcare that affects our area to ensure that services are reformed in a way which delivers the best possible service for the foreseeable future. In Mid Wales, we clearly want to retain, and even bring services closer to us.
Last week, the Future Fit board announced that the options that involve developing a new greenfield site for an emergency care hospital would be unaffordable. The Future Fit Board are therefore proceeding with four options for changes to the existing sites at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The options are:
Princess Royal Telford
A No change
B Emergency Centre, Urgent Care Centre, Local Planned Care, Consultant-led Obstetrics
C1 Diagnostic & Treatment Centre, Urgent Care, Local Planned Care
C2 Diagnostic & Treatment Centre, Urgent Care Centre, Local Planned Care, Consultant-led Obstetrics
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
A No Change
B Diagnostic & Treatment Centre, Urgent Care Centre, Local Planned Care
C1 Emergency Centre, Urgent Care Centre, Local Planned Care, Consultant-led Obstetrics
C2 Emergency Centre, Urgent Care Centre, Local Planned Care
The preferred option will be announced in 7 weeks’ time with a consultation beginning at the end of December and a final decision announced next May. All options would see both sites with an Urgent Care Centre and local planned care.
Work is also continuing on developing options for Urgent Care Centres with five sites currently being considered, none of which are in Montgomeryshire – Ludlow, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Bishops Castle and Whitchurch. My long held view is that we should have an Urgent Care Centre in Montgomeryshire, located at a new site, or at an existing hospital in one of our main towns.
Cross Border Waiting Times
The issue of waiting times is a major issue which dominates my postbag from many concerned residents in Montgomeryshire who rely on healthcare services from Shropshire. As a result of the different policy priorities of the Welsh Government and the UK Government, Welsh and English patients are not treated on an equal basis.
I believe that it is iniquitous for this postcode lottery to determine the quality of care which patients receive and in my view, no Welsh patient should be treated like a second class citizen compared to their English counterparts.
Unfortunately, the reality is very different because whereas the maximum waiting time in England is 18 weeks, in Wales, 95% of patients must be seen within 26 weeks with the remainder being seen within 36 weeks. I believe that patients ought to receive treatment based on clinical need regardless of their country of residence.
Bronglais
I am concerned at reports from residents that elective operations are being cancelled at Bronglais General Hospital in Aberystwyth.
Residents are understandably losing their patience and it is clear that the Welsh Government’s commitment that cancelled operations must be re-scheduled within 14 days if there was less than 8 days’ notice for non-clinical reasons is not being met.
I am concerned that decisions about the cancellation of inpatient elective procedures are being taken by administrators rather than clinicians. Hywel Dda University Health Board needs to remedy this situation at the earliest opportunity.
Meeting with the Health Minister at the National Eisteddfod
Last month, I was delighted that Montgomeryshire was able to host the National Eisteddfod in Meifod. During the Eisteddfod, I was able to coordinate a meeting for local representatives and health professionals with the Welsh Government Health Minister, Mark Drakeford AM, to discuss Mid Wales healthcare issues.
During the meeting, I made it clear to the Minister that it is essential for the Welsh Government to make their view known on the future of emergency and urgent care in Shropshire and that it would be unacceptable for all people in Montgomeryshire to be pressurised into travelling to Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth to access healthcare services.
Thank you for taking the time to read this important update. I would be happy to meet at one of my advice surgeries should you wish to discuss any of the above matters. Please also remember to complete the residents' survey at www.russellgeorge.com/health and forward this update to your friends and family who live in Montgomeryshire.