Shropshire Star

Overnight A&E closure could cost lives warns Shropshire NHS campaigner

Campaigners today warned health bosses that last-resort cuts to A&E services could put people's lives at risk.

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Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, left, and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Gill George, of Shropshire Defend Our NHS hit out at plans to temporarily close one of Shropshire's A&E departments overnight should services become "unsustainable".

The plans, revealed by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, will only be put into place after what the trust describes as a "tipping point" making it impossible to maintain two safe A&E departments in the county.

Ms George said: "We obviously have substantial concerns about it.

"If you need emergency care in the night, you need it just as much at 2am as you do at 11am.

"If you cut, or close, or partially close an A&E you are putting people's lives at risk."

The contingency plans were revealed in the launch of a consultation from SaTH which called on people to have their say about the idea.

But Ms George said: "I think what is clear is they are heading in the direction of closing an A&E. They seem to think they can get away with this new idea that hasn't been mentioned before."

She added that she felt the discussion document detailing the plans was "more honest" than usual with emphasis on financial constraints.

Mark Cheetham, scheduled care group medical director at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH), responded to the debate about the issue on Twitter.

He said: "This is really difficult. We already have delays in A&E, wards too full and too few A&E doctors. How long can we cope?"

Meanwhile, Healthwatch Shropshire has said it could support the plans.

Jane Randall-Smith, chief officer of the watchdog body, said: "Healthwatch Shropshire is aware of the current fragility of the urgent and emergency care services provided by the SaTH.

"People across Shropshire need to have confidence that safe services are available when they need them. If this means changing the way services are provided, in the short term, we would support this so long as enough warning can be given so that everyone is aware of the changes and why.

"In the meantime we would encourage people to think about and use the range of urgent care services that are available across the county, such as community hospitals, Shropdoc, NHS111 and pharmacies.

"Healthwatch Shropshire will respond to the SaTH's questions and people are invited to share their experiences of using A&E services with Healthwatch Shropshire to inform that response."

Despite the potential contingency plans, the trust has said its primary focus is still on making sure a tipping point is not reached.

Trust spokesman David Burrows said: "We do not want to make emergency changes and we have no plans to do so."

He added that "as a responsible public body" it must ensure it has a suitable plan in place for if that point is reached. The trust is asking members of the public to help decide on tipping points, what plans could be put in place and how services can be safeguarded.

It said over the coming months, SaTH board members will be talking to staff, partners and with communities about the best way forward.

They will ask what situations might constitute a tipping point within an emergency department that would mean the service could not be maintained in its current format.

They will also ask what further steps could be taken to prevent tipping points being reached and if a tipping point was reached, what scenarios could be considered.

Anyone with opinions or viewpoints should email consultation@sath.nhs.uk or write to the Chief Operating Officer at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 8XQ or at the Princess Royal Hospital, Apley Castle, Telford, TF1 6TF.

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