Shropshire Star

Health proposals for future of Shropshire hospitals 'beyond belief'

Fresh proposals for the future of hospital services in Shropshire are "beyond belief", says the leader of Telford & Wrekin Council.

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Councillor Kuldip Sahota said he was "disappointed" at the six scenarios released by NHS Future Fit for major changes to how services – including accident and emergency – are delivered at the Royal Shrewsbury and Telford's Princess Royal hospitals.

He said just one of the shortlisted options guaranteed the Princess Royal Hospital would keep a full A&E department, and his stance has been supported by Telford MP David Wright. But health chiefs in charge of the programme said the latest options still had a long way to go.

The programme board of NHS Future Fit will meet on Wednesday to consider the recommended shortlist .

Councillor Sahota said: "It has always been our fear that taking away full 24/7 accident and emergency services from the PRH would put its future under threat and despite repeated attempts, we have had no assurances to the contrary.

"All bar one option on this shortlist would effectively mean the downgrading of the PRH. This council supports keeping full 24/7 A&E services at the PRH.

"In the climate of austerity across the public sector, with all political parties warning this will continue for many years to come, it seems beyond belief that value for money appears to be ignored. But if even if you choose to ignore value for money there are still many reasons why full 24/7 A&E services must remain at the PRH."

Mr Wright called on residents and councillors to take part in the consultation.

He said: "I want to see the main emergency site at Telford and I think that the leader of the council has got it right."

A Future Fit spokesman said: "This is about trying to get the best emergency and urgent care treatment for the whole of the patch and it is not being served well by what it has got at the moment."

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