Watchdog blocks calls for RSH children’s services inquiry
Friday 21st January 2011, 1:14PM GMT.
The chairman of a Shropshire health watchdog today effectively blocked calls for a Government public inquiry into plans to downgrade children’s services at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Councillor Gerald Dakin, of Shropshire Council’s joint health overview and scrutiny committee, said it would be “very reluctant” to refer the matter to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
The Whitchurch-based councillor also claimed his committee did not have any issues “in principle” with proposals by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust to concentrate women’s and children’s services in Telford.
His comments will come as a blow to campaigners and Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski, who has written to the committee asking it to instruct the Government to hold a public inquiry into the matter.
The Tory MP claims he has received hundreds of e-mails and letters from parents who are furious at the prospect of Shrewsbury losing vital services.
Glyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, has also raised concerns on behalf of residents in Mid Wales who rely on the RSH.
But Councillor Dakin said today changes needed to be made or the county could lose even more services.
He said: “We would be very reluctant to pass this on. The big thing for me is this idea that just because Shrewsbury is the county town it has to have this hospital and it has to have these sort of services.
“But it should be what Shropshire needs.”
The joint committee is made up of councillors from both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, but does not have a member from Shrewsbury.
l Fears — See Page 5
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
- The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff doesn't raise a smile
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
A bit of common sense, at last.
Report abuse
Good news.
Report abuse
Good news for the people of Telford, bad news for the people of Ludlow, bishops castle, church stretton, Clun, Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Craven Arms, Newtown! The list goes on, but none of these people count apparently.
Report abuse
Have to agree Shrewsbury is the poor relation everytime. Very much a backward step for Shropshire Health services
Report abuse
What is the point of public consultantions and campaining against these moves. Shows it is a done deal!
Report abuse
Surely this decision contradicts the aims of the proposed NHS reforms. Far from giving patients more control over their care it reduces patient choice.
While I don’t really feel I am in a position to chose which surgeon or consultant treats me, the one real choice I as a patient would like is the option to choose where I am treated. I would like to be treated as locally as possible.
While the decision to centralise services may appear attractive to those looking at balance sheets, it looks a lot less appealing to someone who uses the services. Many people who use these services are going through difficult and traumatic experiences. Making these services less local and harder to get to isn’t going to help them.
Is it not about time that the wishes of patients were given priority over the wishes of the bureaucrats?
Report abuse
The people who agree to this move, obviously don’t have children. If one of them is sick and has to be taken to hospital, it is going to cause problems having to get them all the way over to Telford, especially if you live in the more rural areas of the County and rely on the RSH. Bad move!!
Report abuse