Editorial: Covert Operations

Tuesday 15th September 2009, 1:31PM BST.

When the Princess Royal Hospital opened its doors in Telford 20 years ago, it was trumpeted as a dynamic facility to serve one of the country’s fastest-growing populations.

Today, the town is on the brink of seeing that vision torn apart.

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It appears the cat has finally crept out of the bag, with plans afoot to transfer acute surgery, trauma services and other specialist facilities to Shrewsbury.

Leaving behind what for the good people of Telford? Little more than a glorified community care facility, capable of handling only low-level routine cases.

Rightly or wrongly, the perception is that health bosses have been hell-bent on shifting Telford’s accident and emergency services to Shrewsbury for some considerable time.

In many people’s view, it’s only the fear of a ferocious public backlash which has prevented it from happening already.

For the health authority, there is no longer a hiding place. If Telford is indeed to be downgraded, tell us why the decision has been taken, and when it is going to happen.

Give the public access to the bureaucrats who have made this decision, and challenge them to demonstrate exactly how it can be done without seriously short-changing the people of east Shropshire.

If officials were hoping to push this change quietly through the back door, they are in for a nasty reality check.

View more: Prh Downgrade news.