Health chiefs to decide on Shropshire NHS shake-up
Monday 21st March 2011, 10:08AM GMT.
Health chiefs will this week be urged to approve plans to reshape hospital services despite opposition from thousands of people from across Shropshire and Mid Wales.
The boards of the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust and NHS Telford and Wrekin will be recommended on Thursday to support the proposals which would see women and children’s services switched from the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to Telford’s Princess Royal, with Shrewsbury becoming the main centre for surgery.
But the boards are being asked to give their backing as a basis for the development of more detailed implementation plans.
Outline and full business cases will also need to drawn up.
On Sunday about 300 protesters linked arms in a human chain around the maternity ward at Royal Shrewsbury.
One of the key issues is putting arrangements in place to make travel to Telford easier for mothers and babies from mid Wales and the west of Shropshire.
Fears have been voiced strongly during the public consultation that lives could be at risk because of extra travel times.
Health officials and clinicians claim that changes must be made to the way services are delivered so that they remain safe and sustainable, and continue to be provided in the county.
Dr Leigh Griffin, chief executive of NHS Telford and Wrekin, and acting chief executive of Shropshire County PCT, said today: “We know that there are strong opinions about these proposals, from those people who are totally against them, to those who feel that, whilst not the ideal choice, they are the best possible proposals.”
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They will carefully listen to what was said, examine all the evidence before them and will then take the decision they were going to take, anyway. Which will be designed to upset as many people as possible.
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So what’s new? PRH lost out on two of the last three consultations, maybe it’s time to equal the score.
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