A row is looming over the make-up of the new foundation trust being set up to run Shropshire’s hospitals.Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust is bidding to become a foundation trust, with at least 5,000 local people becoming members. Health chiefs say that it will give the local community more control over the county’s two main hospitals, the Royal Shrewsbury and Telford’s Princess Royal.
But councillors in Wellington are upset that Telford will have fewer representatives on the Council of Governors than the rest of Shropshire and believe the east of the county could miss out as a result.
Wellington Town Council held an Extraordinary General Meeting on Wednesday to discuss its response to the consultation.
Howard Perkins, town council clerk, said while councillors supported the application it was essential the Princess Royal Hospital was able to develop to deal with Telford and Wrekin’s growing population.
Debate raged over proposals for the make-up of the Council of Governors, which is set to include nine from Shropshire county, five from Telford and Wrekin and two from Montgomeryshire.
Councillor Dorothy Roberts said it was unfair.
The council’s response stated: “We are concerned the proposed five governors for Telford and Wrekin neglects the fact that the Princess Royal catchment area extends well beyond the boundaries of Telford & Wrekin administrative area and is larger than that area.
“We also feel that because the Welsh National Assembly has expressed themselves to be against the concept of Foundation Status, the two governors representing Montgomeryshire should be non-voting governors.”
The council suggested there should be two governors for Bridgnorth, five for Telford and Wrekin, one for north-east Shropshire, one for north-west Shropshire, three for Shrewsbury and Atcham, one each for Oswestry and south Shropshire and two non-voting governors for Montgomeryshire.
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