Fears Shropshire may lose vital health services
Friday 25th February 2011, 11:29AM GMT.
Vital services could be lost or controlled by an outside body if the public does not back Shropshire’s planned NHS shake-up, it was warned today.
Councillors at Telford & Wrekin Council are being asked to back a set of proposals for the area’s two main hospitals – Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The proposals would see women’s and children’s services relocated to the PRH from the RSH. Head and neck services would also relocate to the PRH and there would be a creation of an acute surgery centre at the RSH.
Members of Telford & Wrekin Council will meet on Thursday where they will be asked to back the idea.
Council leader Andrew Eade said the authority’s support was dependent on guarantees of safety and sustainability given by the chief executives of both the Shropshire and Telford primary care trusts, the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons.
“This issue is a vital one for everyone in the whole county and we have sought assurances that what is proposed represents the only solution for the borough and Shropshire,” said Councillor Eade.
Labour group leader Councillor Keith Austin said: “This consultation is our chance to save services and stop our local hospitals from being taken over by a hospital trust from outside the area and it’s vital that everyone takes part.”
Independent group leader Councillor Gill Green said: “If proposals for changes to services for the two main hospitals are not supported, it would lead to more services leaving the area.”
TAWPA leader Councillor Vic Tonks added: “There is a real risk that, if the consultation is not supported, the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust could be taken over by another trust and see key services moving away to these centres.”
Almost 400 people packed into a public meeting in Newtown last night to discuss the plans. Residents, councillors and politicians packed into the Elephant and Castle as part of the consultation by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust over the proposals.
Glyn Davies, Montgomeryshire MP, said people in Mid Wales did not want any services moved and the audience made its point.
By Jason Lavan
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Once again unelected individuals of the NHS are trying to override our elected representatives and the wishes of the population, This is supposed to be a democracy but apparently some just don’t understand what the word means.
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Do you want an election for every public sector role?
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Here they go again. Telling the public they must agree or they’ll lose everything.
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Once again there is no evidence being put forward of this from the Trust!
They may as well tell us not to sail towards the horizon as we would fall off the end of the earth!
Come on, anything the trust tells us is going to back their proposals and by scaring council members into backing this proposal must be wrong… and I’m sorry but getting the backing of Councillors at Telford & Wrekin Council is like preaching to the converted!!!! Why not give options and not do or die situations…
… but if the do or die situation is the only option, which I it shouldn’t be, then I for one would want to see all those involved, letting this situation get this bad, be held accountable and fired.
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I don’t think anyone is fooled by these stories, there is so much support to save services at Shrewsbury. Each of these meetings has attracted very large numbers.
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There is also a great deal of support to move the services to Telford but I suppose they should have no voice as far as some are concerned.
Perhaps the Telfordites were frightened away from the Greenhous Meadow by all those turning up with their flaming torches held high and baying for the blood of those who dare suggest an opposing view.
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I’m sorry but they aren’t talking about closing Telford wards. They were saved by those from Telford who protested against closures. Are you saying that those from Shropshire who are effected by RSH closures have no rights to do the same?
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The trouble is no-one likes giving anything up as they always think they are losing out, so motives become suspect. Let the clinicians – NOT the bean counters – decide how they can offer the best services to the total clientele and go with their decision.
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What ever happens to services,it will not be the public who decide, but it will be the public who pay.
Especially as petrol prices are soaring, public transport is expensive and wastes our time.
It is us, who will be getting the raw deal, not the NHS trust managers sitting on their big behinds with even bigger wallets.
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This is an open letter to the board of directors at the Telford and Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust. As a Shropshire resident I feel that the board of Telford and Shrewsbury hospitals should realise that the community have no confidence in their opinions and they should be replaced by a body that does care about our community. To all resign now and leave the way open to people that do care.
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Well said!
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Presumably to be replaced by a team of pro-Shrewsbury puppets? That would be the ideal scenario as far as some would be concerned.
There are always two sides to an argument, have you considered that if we retain the status quo and ‘warnings’ issued by some clinical staff come to fruition and services are moved out of the county what will you do then? Stop being so polarised.
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I understand that there are many people in Telford that are pro the proposed changes, I won’t call these people ‘pro-Telford puppets’ however Terry, as I believe this type of discourse should be confined to the school playground. I would however like to see the evidence to support the theory that services would be taken over by another Trust. As far as I’m aware as a practising Health Professional, securing services in geographical areas is dependant on a number of criteria being met, not simply reconfiguring the services and making specialist centres. Yes, I am pro retaining maternity and children’s services at the RSH and have supported the campaign to do so. At the very least the proposals should be challenged to ensure that we, the service users, have accurate, honest information, instead of politically motivated scaremongering based on supposition.
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