Responding to the announcement (below) that the NHS Future Fit Programme Board has agreed a recommendation on the future of hospital services for patients from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Mid Wales, Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George said:
“The people of Montgomeryshire have clearly stated that they want services to be retained and strengthened in Shrewsbury and I’m delighted we have now had confirmation of the recommendation that the new A&E Emergency Care Centre will be located at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
“This is absolutely the right decision for the people of Mid Wales and it is a victory for common sense.
“Both Glyn Davies MP and I have always maintained that emergency care serving Shropshire and Mid Wales should be located at the centre of the region in Shrewsbury.
“Over the years, there has been a real sense of deep frustration that access to healthcare has been moving further away from Montgomeryshire, meaning that we have to travel longer distances to obtain quality health provision.
“After lengthy delays in making a decision, this recommendation is the best news we’ve received regarding the reform of our local NHS for many years.
“The next stage in the decision making process will be a public consultation and I would encourage everyone in Mid Wales to respond in support of these sensible proposals when it is published.”
NHS Future Fit Programme Board agrees recommendation on the future of hospital services for patients from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Mid Wales
The programme board of NHS Future Fit met today (30 November) to formally decide on a recommendation to health commissioners on the future shape of hospital services serving the people of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales. The programme board is made up of clinicians and leaders from across health and social care and patient representatives.
Based on clinical and non-clinical evidence collected over the past three years, the programme board is making a recommendation to health leaders that a public consultation is undertaken to gather public views on the future of hospital services. This preferred option will be considered by Telford and Wrekin CCG and Shropshire CCG shortly, who will formally decide if a public consultation can begin. No formal decisions will be made until at least Summer 2017 once the formal consultation feedback is analysed and further detailed work is completed.
The preferred option is:
Princess Royal Hospital (Telford)
- Urgent Care (24/7)
- The majority of day case surgery
- Planned orthopaedic surgery
- Outpatients
- Diagnostics
- Midwifery led unit
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
- Emergency and critical care
- Urgent care (24/7)
- Complex surgery
- Outpatients and diagnostics
- Women and childrens’ centre
David Evans, Joint Senior Responsible Officer for NHS Future Fit said: “I need to stress that this is not a final decision. We are recommending to the two CCGs that in the board’s opinion we are ready to begin a public consultation on the future of hospital services.
“We have reached this preferred option, based on the clinical and non-clinical evidence we had before us.
“We have been working towards this recommendation for the past three years and I would like to thank everyone involved. We know there is still further detailed work to be done, before our CCGs can reach a final decision next year.
“It is still very much the feeling of the NHS Future Fit Programme Board that our clinical model, based on a new Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, a single Emergency Centre and two new Urgent Care Centres treating the majority of people who currently present at A&E is the way to deliver safe, high quality and sustainable hospital services for the patients of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.”
David added: “We are confident that the process we have followed in our decision making to-date has been robust, and we have sought external guidance to assure us.”
The recommendation will now go before a Joint Committee of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups. This will have equal representation and will take place soon.
If agreed by the CCGs this will be followed by a full public consultation which should begin in January. It will last for a minimum of 12 weeks.