A new taskforce dedicated to fighting any future threats to services at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital is to be set up.

The Health Monitoring Committee will be made up of doctors, health workers and councillors. Its role would be to look at any changes that come forward through the NHS review of healthcare services in Shropshire, which earlier this autumn sought to downgrade services at PRH.

A public outcry led to the scrapping of plans to immediately transfer vascular services from the PRH to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital last month.

Instead a county-wide vascular rota covering both hospitals was set up.

But Telford & Wrekin Council bosses, who have opposed the plans, say the victory was just a small battle in what promises to be a long war ahead.

Councillor Andrew Eade, council leader, said: “Over the next year, this is perhaps the key issue for the borough.

“This commission will help ensure that the wider community comes together to fight for our hospital.

“It will be equipped with the support and breadth of expertise to challenge any future proposals that the NHS may put forward to downgrade services at PRH.”

Councillors will be asked to back the setting up of the new committee in January next year.

Its work will support that of the council’s joint health overview scrutiny commission. The council’s SOS PRH petition can still be signed online at www.telford.gov.uk/sosprh petition or at local libraries.

By Wayne Beese