Plans for an “immediate” switch of some hospital services from Telford to Shrewsbury appeared dead in the water this afternoon.

An NHS watchdog committee for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin said that they wished the county’s health trusts to establish “as soon as possible” a network of vascular surgeons which will work across both general hospitals.

Such a move should safeguard vascular surgery at the Princess Royal Hospital for the next three to five years.

Earlier today the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust supported an “immediate” plan that would consolidate emergency vascular and major vascular surgery services at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

But yesterday the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust – which runs both hospitals – appeared to block this proposal.

The hospital trust board backed a recommendation from its chief executive Tom Taylor to instead develop a countywide vascular rota, including the appointment of a sixth vascular surgeon, keeping emergency general and vascular surgery at both hospitals in the interim.

However, at a meeting at Shrewsbury’s Prostar Stadium, the county primary care trust decided unanimously to back the “immediate” proposal to switch services to Shrewsbury.

The Shropshire County PCT claimed consolidating vascular surgery at Shrewsbury was best for patients and would not compromise other services at Telford.

It is now prepared to work on establishing a network of surgeons after the idea fou-nd favour this afternoon with the joint health overview and scrutiny committee for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

The committee says there must be full consultation next year on the hospital trust’s aspiration of eventually consolidating vascular surgery at either Shrewsbury or Telford.

A decision on the proposed “immediate” transfer of services still has to be taken on Monday by the NHS Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust.

Andrew Eade, leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, which is spearheading a campaign to prevent PRH being downgraded, said he hoped the trust would listen to the “tidal wave of clinical and community opinion” that the immediate transfer of services must not go ahead.

By Health Correspondent Dave Morris