In late August 2022, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England’s Joint Investment Committee approved plans in principle for the future of Shropshire’s healthcare services.
This decision is a significant step that will see emergency (A&E) services strengthened in Shrewsbury that comes after years of debate and campaigning over Shropshire's hospitals.
This will mean that the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital will specialise in Emergency Care and The Princess Royal Hospital in Telford will become a Planned Care centre. Both sites will have an 24-hour Urgent Care centre.
The plans will vastly reduce current A&E waiting times at both hospitals, as well as ambulance turnaround periods.
This will be positive for us in Mid Wales as we will see improved life-saving emergency healthcare located in Shrewsbury. The services planned are more significant than a standard A+E department, with the benefits of improved funding. These plans also mean the return of the women and children’s consultant-led inpatient service return to Shrewsbury.
I think it is also important to point out that both hospitals will continue to provide adult and children outpatient services and diagnostic tests as well as a 24-hour Urgent Care Centre, Day Case Renal Unit and Midwife-led unit.
I’m very clear that it is also essential that some planned care is delivered locally in our local community hospitals in Llanidloes, Newtown, Welshpool and Machynlleth, to prevent the need to travel out of county to see a consultant. We need to see the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust work in partnership with Powys Teaching Health Board to achieve this going forward.
Plans to redevelop services at both Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals have been long-awaited, and this approval will enable the Trust to move to the next stage of its transformation programme. The programme will overhaul the Trust’s health services, enable it to continue to confront its challenges and makes necessary reforms to attract top class consultants and clinicians.
It has taken far too long for us to reach this point but I welcome the progress made and encourage the Trust and health services to continue working to deliver this transformation.
I am hugely encouraged by these decisions. It is imperative that the remaining investment is granted as soon as possible to allow construction to begin imminently, and I will continue to push for this to be completed at pace.
