Health chiefs hit out at negativity over Shropshire A&E plan
Health chiefs in Shropshire today hit back at critics who have attacked plans to have just one A&E unit in the county.
Leaders of the NHS Future Fit programme say the only feasible option for the future is to have one emergency centre in Shropshire dealing with 999 and life-threatening situations and injuries.
The location of the new centre has yet to be decided, but will either be at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Telford's Princess Royal or on a new greenfield site located somewhere between the two.
Urgent care centres will be set up at other sites around the county to treat people with non-life threatening injuries such as fractures and sprains. Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which along with its Telford & Wrekin counterpart, is spearheading the move for change, came under fire from Shrewsbury Green Party member Sue Boulding last week.
Preserve
She claimed more people would die because of longer ambulance journeys and accused the doctors on the CCG board of breaking their Hippocratic Oath.
"The board members of Shropshire CCG have sworn the Hippocratic Oath, which requires them to save and preserve life and promote the good health of patients," she said. "I have written to the chair of the CCG asking her to explain how they will not be in breach of their oath if they vote to reduce the number of A&E units. Unsurprisingly, she has failed to reply."
But chief officer Dr Caron Morton has hit back in an open letter signed by her and all of the other doctors on the board.
An extract of it reads: "As doctors our overwhelming priority is care for our patients.
"The purpose of the NHS Future Fit programme is also purely to improve care for patients in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.
"There is absolutely no conflict between the two. The oath distinguishes us as doctors, and places a great responsibility upon us to do the right thing.
"We have only one thing at heart as we wrestle with the complexity of these issues.
"That is the good of the patients we serve. Change is always controversial.
"But we have a united conviction that there needs to be change and we have a professional and moral responsibility to play our part and provide clinical leadership.
"We hope the people of Shropshire can block out the negativity of the few and will join with us to build services which are truly fit for the future."
