Fears 'super hospital' could see Royal Shrewsbury Hospital close

Joy Jones, leader of the Newtown Health Forum, claimed if health services are moved further east to the Princess Royal Hospital then patients from Mid Wales could lose their lives.

She said the extra 15 to 20-minute journey could mean seriously ill patients could fail to reach hospital within the "golden hour" period.

Mrs Jones said: "I think the super hospital idea is fair enough, but we can't have it based in Telford or people in Mid Wales are going to be in real danger.

"It is just too far for us to travel in emergency situations. Sometimes it can be difficult enough getting from Newtown to Shrewsbury at busy times along a single carriageway. To then have to go further to Telford could be fatal for some."

Mrs Jones said she is also concerned that Powys is not getting a fair say on the plans.

"I am worried we are not making our case heard loud enough, we need to ensure we are being given a fair representation during this process," she said.

The idea of the 'super hospital' which would see one of Shropshire's two main sites closed, was brought back to the table this week at a meeting of the Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group.

The plans for a single hospital in the county are being championed by David Sandbach, former chief executive of the Princess Royal Hospital.

He said: "There should be one hospital in Shropshire. It doesn't matter whether it is in Telford or Shrewsbury, but it would actually be better for the whole of Shropshire if it was sited at PRH.

"We have enough cash, what we have got is too many buildings – three if you include the orthopaedic hospital – which are very expensive to run."

The four options currently on the table as part of the Future Fit programme are: no change; A&E and women and children's at PRH with urgent care centre and diagnostic and treatment centre at RSH; A&E and women and children's at RSH with urgent care centre and diagnostic and treatment centre at PRH; A&E at RSH but women and children's stays at PRH along with urgent care centre and diagnostic and treatment centre.

The four options would become six if the two proposals – to site everything either at RSH or the PRH – were to be reintroduced.

The final shortlist will go out to consultation with the general public in December and run for the early part of next year before a preferred option to move forward is announced.