Pre-election rules will prevent talks on Shropshire NHS changes

Strict election rules kicking in from March 30 – known as purdah – prevent NHS Future Fit from running its public events to inform and gain feedback from people on plans which could see A&E services moved to a single site in Telford, Shrewsbury, or in a new building altogether.

The term 'purdah' has come into popular use across central and local government to describe the period of time immediately before elections or referendums when specific restrictions on the activity of civil servants are in place. The term 'pre-election period' is also used.

For general elections in the past this period commenced with the announcement of the election by the Prime Minister. There will be no announcement of the next general election because the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 set the date as 7 May 2015 and Parliament will be dissolved on 30 March 2015.

The Government has recently announced that pre-election purdah before the next general election will begin on 30 March 2015, the same day as the dissolution of Parliament.

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But campaigners – who are urging health chiefs to keep both of Shropshire's current accident and emergency departments at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital open – say the public has been abandoned.

Gill George, of Shropshire Defend Our NHS, said residents were originally told a three-and-a-half month period of public engagement would take place from the middle of October until the end of January.

But a shortlist of six options for the future of Shropshire's health services was not released until the end of January and the consultation events are not due to start until this Friday – just five weeks before purdah is due to start.

Mrs George said: "The people of Shropshire are being short-changed. We need a real consultation about the shortlist – the public need to have their say.

"If a three-and-a-half month engagement period was right last year, why isn't it now? Or are they frightened of exposing their ill thought out plans to full public scrutiny."

But Future Fit chiefs, who admitted the programme was running slightly behind its original schedule, said they legally were not allowed to continue engagement events during purdah but would work "right up to" and "after" the election period.

For information about consultations, visit nhsfuturefit.co.uk or call 0300 3000 903.