Council to launch campaign to save Shrewsbury hospital A&E

Members of Shrewsbury Town Council will talk about ways to save the emergency department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital at a meeting on Monday.

Councillor Alan Mosley, leader of the town council, said the council's finance and general purposes committee had decided to kickstart campaigns to save the service, and the move would now be discussed at a full council meeting.

The shake-up of health services is part of the Future Fit review, which began in 2013. It recommends only one A&E unit should be available for the county – leaving only one in either Shrewsbury or Telford.

Last month the finance and general purposes committee adopted a statement that opposes any closure of the hospital's A&E, leading to emergency cases going to Telford's Princess Royal Hospital.

Shropshire Council had considered a similar motion at its meeting in July, but instead adopted an amendment that stopped short of calling for RSH to keep its A&E.

Councillor Mosley said: "At the meeting, we will hopefully be endorsing our plans for supporting the continuation of the A&E at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

"A resolution was passed at the last meeting of the finance and general purposes committee and that is going to be coming back to the council to discuss and endorse."

Councillor Mosley said: "The town council will hopefully support the proposal to lobby for the retention of A&E services at RSH, whch is no doubt something that the vast majority of residents will be pleased about.

"We are planning then to hold a rally some time in the Autumn."

Shropshire Council has said it will not get involved in the decision, which it says should be a "clinical decision" rather than political.

The decision was criticised by MP Daniel Kawczynski, who said people needed to show "iron resolve", and praised the town council for continuing its fight to keep the emergency unit.

But Telford & Wrekin Council launched its A&E 4 PRH campaign and made about £100,000 available to publicise it.

The issue will be discussed at a full town council meeting, which will be held on Monday at 6pm, at the Guildhall in Frankwell.