Shropshire Star

Health Secretary refuses to take sides over Shropshire A&E proposals

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has refused to get involved in ongoing discussions over the future of Shropshire's A&E services.

Published

Health officials say either Shrewsbury or Telford will lose its A&E department and a new site could be built between the two towns.

Councillors in Telford have written to Mr Hunt urging him to back Telford as the location of the county's A&E centre, as part of a campaign to keep 24/7 services at Princess Royal Hospital.

In his response to Telford & Wrekin Borough Council leader Kuldip Sahota, the Secretary of State said the "reconfiguration of local health services is a matter for the local NHS" and told councillors that he could not intervene.

The news came to light after Councillor Angela McClements asked cabinet members about the reply at a full meeting of Telford & Wrekin Borough Council.

Labour councillors criticised Mr Hunt's response and questioned whether this was what he would have said if it involved the area that he lived.

They also criticised recent comments made by Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, who said there was "no risk" to Telford's A&E service and slammed the "scaremongering" campaign by Labour politicians.

Mr Pritchard said: "When it comes to emergency services, previous reviews have always come to the same conclusion, that is, that the county is too geographically large and has too much of a rapidly growing population, to reduce either the Telford or the Shrewsbury accident and emergency sites.

"With Telford's growth over recent years, and its projected growth, the case for retaining Telford's own A&E is now even stronger.

"With a growing population comes growing health demand. That fact is indisputable. That is why I have been reassured that there is no danger of Telford losing its A&E. It just isn't logical or medically and clinically safe. The formal public consultation will not commence until the summer of 2015 but already some local Labour politicians have begun their unhelpful and predictable 'scaremongering' campaign."

At a previous meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council, a motion to keep 24-hour accident and emergency services in Telford received unanimous cross-party support.

It stated: "This council notes with great concern proposals that would see one accident and emergency centre for Telford, Shropshire and Mid-Wales becoming "ambulance only" with so called walk-in patients diverted to an Urgent Care Centre (UCC).

"Telford & Wrekin Council again calls for a full 24 Hour Accident and Emergency Service at our Princess Royal Hospital and urges the Secretary of State to intervene in this process that is bringing so much uncertainty to our residents".

Speaking at Thursday's meeting, Councillor McClements said: "This council wants to retain 24/7 A&E services at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital."

In his letter, Mr Hunt said: "Any changes to local services for patients should be led by clinicians and patient and not from the top down. It is for NHS commissioners and providers to work together, with local authorities, patients and the public, in bringing forward proposals that will improve the quality and sustainability of healthcare services."

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.

Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group is considering options as part of the Future Fit programme.

Leaders in other Shropshire towns such as Ludlow and Oswestry voiced their fears that they were being treated as "second best" in a consultation about the future of NHS services in the county.

The options:

  • Maintain status quo – A&E units on both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal, with community hospitals and minor injury units at Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Whitchurch and Oswestry. Efficiency savings to be identified.

  • Emergency centre with Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Diagnosis and Treatment Centre with Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Princess Royal. Two to five further Urgent Care Centres, ideally co-located with Local Planned Care Facilities and Community Units.

  • Emergency centre with Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Princess Royal Hospital. Diagnosis and Treatment Centre with Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Royal Shrewsbury. Two to five further Urgent Care Centres, ideally co-located with Local Planned Care Facilities and Community Units.

  • Emergency centre with Urgent Care Centre at new site. Diagnosis and Treatment Centre with Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Princess Royal. Urgent Care Centre with Local Planned Care Facility at Royal Shrewsbury. Two to five further Urgent Care Centres, ideally co-located with Local Planned Care Facilities and Community Units.

  • Emergency centre with Urgent Care Centre at new site. Diagnosis and Treatment Centre with Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Royal Shrewsbury. Urgent Care Centre with Local Planned Care Facility at Princess Royal. Two to five further Urgent Care Centres, ideally co-located with Local Planned Care Facilities and Community Units.

  • Emergency centre and Diagnosis and Treatment Centre with Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Royal Shrewsbury. Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Princess Royal. Two to five further Urgent Care Centres, ideally co-located with Local Planned Care Facilities and Community Units.

  • Emergency centre and Diagnosis and Treatment Centre with Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Princess Royal. Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Royal Shrewsbury. Two to five further Urgent Care Centres, ideally co-located with Local Planned Care Facilities and Community Units.

  • Emergency centre and Urgent Care Centre with Diagnosis and Treatment Centre on new site. Urgent Care Centre and Local Planned Care Facility at Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal. Two to five further Urgent Care Centres, ideally co-located with Local Planned Care Facilities and Community Units.

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