Consultants’ concerns over Shropshire health changes

Saturday 12th February 2011, 12:09PM GMT.

Hundreds of campaigners outside Greenhous Meadow, Shrewsbury, ahead of the public meeting about the future of women and children's services at the RSH on Friday, February 11, 2011

Consultants have spoken publicly for the first time of their “grave concerns” over plans to downgrade women’s and children’s services at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The clinicians made their feelings known at a packed public meeting at the town’s Greenhous Meadow Stadium last night which followed a protest by hundreds of campaigners opposed to the move.

About 20,000 people are now believed to have signed petitions against the plans by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

At last night’s meeting five consultant paediatricians/neonatologists spoke out against the idea of concentrating women’s and children’s services at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

They also claimed the “vast majority” of paediatricians did not support the plans and that their views were not being passed on properly to GPs and other consultees.

Dr Wendy Tyler, consultant neonatologist at RSH, who leads on resuscitation and life support of newborns, said she believed that concentrating the services at Telford could put the lives of babies in Mid Wales and west Shropshire at risk.

She said: “This is about people being removed from the hub and spoke (of the county) and this is what I am concerned about.

“I have grave concerns that these risks will still be there at the end of the consultation and I would be dishonest if I did not say that at this meeting.”

Dr Richard Brough, consultant paediatrician, and Alison Moore, consultant neonatologist, claimed that views of paediatricians against the plans were not being passed on.

He said he also believed the proposal presented “significant clinical risks”.

Dr Naeem Ayub, consultant paediatrician, said: “The vast majority of paediatricians do not support these proposals.”

Ludlow-based GP, Dr Caron Morton, who is on the assurance panel for GP’s in the county, last night urged consultants to contact her to let her know their views.

She claimed she had not previously heard about such concerns.

Adam Cairns, chief executive of the trust, told the meeting that something had to be done urgently otherwise the county could lose some services altogether.

By Russell Roberts

View more: Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital Nhs Trust news.

1
Ed

February 12, 2011 at 13:33

Was great to see so many people there last night. Let’s hope they listen and keep women and children’s services at Shrewsbury hospital.

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2
Richard Field

February 12, 2011 at 16:45

I was very pleased to see the great number of people who came to the meeting last night, and not just members of the public but the senior Doctors and Consultants who stood up to be counted, and kudos goes to all of them for taking a brave stance.

We all know something has got to be done and I am worried that all the options have not been fully explored to find a better solution all round. I know it is not an easy task but sometimes you can set off down a path in exploration and soon your sliding along on an avalanche unable to see anything but the path you are being swept down.

I saw many highly intelligent people at the meeting who all seemed to have a similar goal, a better affordable service to the patients of Shropshire, but just not happy with the option we have on the table at the present time. I would also say that I sincerely believe that if alternative options were presented to Adam Cairns he would give them an open and fair hearing. Mr Cairns himself has said that if they had the finances available they would not be considering this present option. I implore everybody to put their thoughts on paper to the various bodies overseeing this process, it’s all very well disagreeing but you must make your views known. We need some better ideas for the illusive “PLAN B”

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3
DevilsChair

February 14, 2011 at 13:42

Plan B (please relable to Plan A) Get rid of one lot of management and get them to run the two hospitals.
No more of this Telford or Shrewsbury rubbish – yes one location will disadvantage some but both are NEEDED. Let one lot of management run the lot – these days with techology, lets not have the patients be forced to troll up and down the A5 (or meaning-free modern talk ‘customers’ if you please).

If the front line is to be kept – keep is as the services, expand one lot of management to control both sites.

No loss of medical staff, No loss of equipment. No rubbish competing of sites – it brings quality down over time.

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4
Child worker

February 17, 2011 at 13:24

The paediatricians and neonates who stood up in a public meeting and aired “concerns” will no doubt have had plenty of opportunity of airing these “concerns” in numerous in-house meetings. They are fully aware that if women’s and children’s services are not transferred to Telford the whole Trust will be for the chop – Foundation status just will not be attainable. This “brave stance” is pure and utter selfishness, and has nothing to do with the care of their patients which can only be made better by the creation of a department in Telford staffed by highly skilled professionals with the best equipment and surroundings possible, instead of the “shed” they now have available to them – these Consultants should have a chat with the surgeons who will move to Shrewsbury and are delighted with the prospect ahead of them

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