Chorus of criticism at Shropshire Future Fit A&E fiasco

Councillor Kuldip Sahota, leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, vowed to "continue to fight tooth and nail" to keep a 24-hour A&E ward at the town's Princess Royal Hospital.

He said the news that a decision would be deferred on the future of A&E in the county raised "significant questions and doubts" about the Future Fit team charged with bringing about change.

Despite two years of work and a near £2 million spend, the programme board said yesterday none of the options on the table adequately addressed a growing £23 million deficit at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

Speaking at a full meeting of the council last night, Councillor Sahota said: "It is unbelievable that a process can spend two years looking at options and fail to address such obvious and fundamental issues.

"We believe PRH offers the most viable and best value site. Our community and our council will not stand for it. We will continue to fight tooth and nail any such proposals that seek to remove 24-hour A&E from our local hospital at Princess Royal. The fight goes on."

He said the council was urging people to join its A&E4PRH campaign via the authority's website and sign the public petition already started to protect the PRH.

Deputy council leader and chair of health and well-being, Councillor Richard Overton, said: "I am sure the public will be flabbergasted that the NHS has taken almost two years and spent so much money to arrive at a blindingly obvious conclusion. Any proposed solution has to address SaTH's deficit.

"Those that are on the table just make a small dent, cause huge upheaval and in eyes of those at the top in the NHS are simply non-starters. How we ever got to this position begs the question – is Future Fit fit for purpose? Common sense says not."

Campaign group Shropshire Defend Our NHS claimed after the announcement the board had been "too scared" to choose which hospital should house the single A&E.