Parliament to debate Shropshire hospitals shake-up
Friday 4th February 2011, 12:21PM GMT.
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has secured a backbench debate in Parliament next week on proposed changes to hospital services in Shropshire.
He will be particularly focusing on plans to switch women and children’s services from the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to Telford’s Princess Royal.
Mr Kawczynski has already raised the issue in House of Commons. During a debate on Tuesday he said: “I have been approached about extraordinarily emotive cases, involving women who have major issues to do with maternity and paediatric services.
“They are very emotional about the prospect of those services being moved away from their community. I want them to be heard.”
In next Wednesday’s backbench debate Mr Kawczynski will raise concerns including that there is no ‘Plan B’ if current plans to reconfigure hospital services are rejected.
The has led to fears services will be lost to centres outside Shropshire and affect the bid by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust for foundation trust status, which the MP said was a “very serious matter”.
Mr Kawczynski said he wanted the debate to be “very even-handed”.
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
“Mr Kawczynski said he wanted the debate to be ‘very even-handed’.”
Last week, he wanted it to be more “aggressive” and “militant”.
Make your mind up, Danny.
Report abuse
Even handed as long as Shrewsbury get their way, he is not thinking of the whole of Shropshire, wonder where the other Tory MP’s in County stand on the issue does he have their support?
Report abuse
He is thinking of the whole of Shropshire. Moving the children’s ward to Telford makes it very difficult for those who live in south shropshire or those on the welsh boarder.
Report abuse
It must be so easy to come up with ‘clever’ comment on this news – BUT for those of us with the children who have 24 hour access on to the children’s ward at Shrewsbury due to their lifelong medical conditions and are actually affected on a day-to-day basis by these decisions I’m afraid it is not so easy. Perhaps those who spend their hours sitting by their children’s bedsides on these wards should be the ones whose comment and views really matter!!
Report abuse
Emma, well said.
Report abuse
I’m sure there are parents of children in Telford who also have lifelong medical conditions. Surely it is equally unreasonable to expect them to travel to the far side of Shrewsbury?
I’ve seen the suggestion that Stoke would be a reasonable alternative for Telford people (presumably to allow for more of Shropshire’s resources to be provided for the people of Wales!)
The journey to Stoke from Telford is a slow one, taking approximately one hour – if you’re lucky.
By contrast the journey from Shrewsbury to PRH is a simple one, mostly on fast dual carriageways/motorway.
Looking to the future needs of Shropshire, which of the two towns is growing more rapidly? Which has a younger age demographic?
Some of these folk need to get a map…
Report abuse
And which town is in the centre of Shropshire and is the hub of all the main trunk roads in Shropshire, I have looked at my map and Oh dear its Shrewsbury! The nub is that from many places in Shropshire people wil be required to drive past Shrewsbury to get to Telford what a waste
Report abuse
Please save childrens services at Shrewsbury hospital.
Report abuse
My question is would you be prepared to travel to Birmingham for the childrens services? This is what will happen (i.e. we will lose the service altogether) if we don’t act now.
What about the people from Telford who have to travel to Shrewsbury now for the childrens services and have done for a long time, have you ever heard them complaining?
Report abuse
What about the rest of Shropshire? We already travel to Shrewsbury, is it fair to add another 30 minutes or more on to that journey. There should be a children’s ward in both hospitals, but if that’s not possible then at least Shrewsbury is nearly in the middle.
Report abuse
but most of the people live in Telford
Report abuse
Yes Spencer as a centre of population I grant you, but when you add up all the people entitled to use these services they do not have the majority. It is also the smallest hospital with the least beds and I can see little room for expansion therefore come the next hard winter any excess capacity is rapidly going to be lost risking greater delays to any elective childrens services. Where as keep childrens services on a bigger site and then there is less chance of delays in their treatment.
Report abuse
We have to save Shrewsbury’s children’s ward. It is unacceptable for children from Shrewsbury and further afield to have an extra 15 mile journey to get emergency treatment when they become ill. And it would be unacceptable for Telford’s children to have to do that too. Both hospitals need a children’s ward because it is a vital part of the emergency care for our children.
Report abuse
Agree entirely but budgets will decide this issue in the end!
Report abuse
Budgets or political commitments, Mike?
Here are a few of those commitments from the Conservative online manifesto, if you click on to their health policy:
-We will guarantee that health spending increases in real terms in each year of the Parliament
-We will stop the centrally dictated closure of A&E and maternity wards.
-We will put patients in charge of making decisions about their care
Surely, it is not just about budgets, Mike, but about promises and trust.
Report abuse
Very good points Huw but politicians are experts at breaking promises.
Report abuse
All of us -unfortunately- break promises occasionally. That is human.
But would you not accept that it is very difficult to do this if our promises are there in black and white and are repeated back to us?
Surely manifesto commitments are a useful lever for the public, who want their public services to be preserved.
This is all about trust.
Without trust it becomes very difficult for politicians to pursue their agenda.
Report abuse
To the person who wrote this article:
Why don’t you put a link to the actual consultation document rather than just the questions, thereby giving people the opportunity to make informed opinions!
Report abuse
This 2011 for goodness sake. Both hospitals need a childrens ward and specialist staff to treat them.
Lets us all campaign for just that, no less for any of the hospitals.
Report abuse
One super all purpose Hospital somewhere in the middle and looking at the map the Atchem industrial site or in that area looks very reasonable slightly nearer Telford Hospital but very simple to get to. Good road service without being on a major route where ambulances could get snarled up in traffic. Sites of present hospitals should have a much greater land value than that around said industrial site.
Report abuse