Rallying call to save Royal British Legion clubs
- Today's leader
Shrewsbury MP slams hospital downgrade scheme
Thursday 22nd December 2011, 7:00PM GMT.
Health bosses should have done more to try to secure funding to improve the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital instead of pushing ahead with plans to downgrade its services, the town’s MP Daniel Kawczynski claimed today.
He said improving the hospital would have been a better option than the £35 million shake-up of services proposed by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
But bosses of the trust vowed that the shake-up proposals, which will see women and children’s services at the Royal Shrewsbury downgraded and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital taking on consultant maternity, neo-natal and in-patient paediatric units, were the best option available.
Their comments came as Health Secretary Andrew Lansley backed the trust’s plans, saying the alternative option of improving facilities at the Royal Shrewsbury would cost £60 million.
However, Mr Kawczynski said not enough effort had been made by the trust to investigate the idea of improving facilities.
He said: “Many people in Shrewsbury are not happy with the way in which the hospital trust has presented the case.
“They haven’t, in my view, even attempted to get the necessary funding for a replacement of the site in Shrewsbury and gone for an option which I believe is wrong.
“I fundamentally and passionately disagree with the way in which the trust has presented its case strategically and financially.”
But Adam Cairns, chief executive of the trust, said that the plans were the best financial option available.
“I understand that any change to health services can cause anxiety.
“But through these proposals we aim to ensure that we can continue to provide high quality, safe hospital services for whenever you or your family need them,” he said.
By Chris Burn
Sponsored Links
Most Commented
- Shropshire Council will face £8m redundancy bill
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- 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
